Supreme Court Allows Sale Of Liquor In Tamil Nadu, Stays HC Order

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday stayed the Madras High Court order which imposed restrictions on the sale of liquor by TASMAC shops in the state. The Tamil Nadu High Court had stipulated that liquor sale should be done online and home delivery after verification through Aadhaar. The High Court had stated that there were huge crowds for shops and no social distancing was maintained.

The Advocate for the petitioner Mukul Rohatgi argued that the High Court cannot interfere in a policy decision. He clarified that practices such as social distancing and sanitisation were being followed. Online vending services would be private and would be a cause of concern for the state, he submitted.

In a big relief to the Tamil Nadu government, proceedings in the Tamil Nadu High Court have been stayed.

The respondents had argued that sale of liquor is not a fundamental right and that the state government is prioritising commercialisation over public health.

The Supreme Court observed that it is for the state to draw up procedures for the sale of liquor.

Arguing for the petitioner, senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi submitted before the apex court that restrictions in the sale of liquor were being followed such as sanitation, social distancing and barricading. In his arguments, he also questioned the need for an Aadhaar card to buy liquor and pointed out that Tamil Nadu is a large state, unlike Delhi.