Srinagar, July 4 — The Jammu and Kashmir administration has reportedly shut down a liquor shop in Srinagar’s Batamaloo area after strong opposition from local traders and religious leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq.
The shop’s opening had sparked protests, with Batamaloo traders announcing a three-day shutdown in response. They called it a peaceful protest against the “negative social and cultural impact” of selling alcohol in their locality. A joint statement from various market associations appealed to authorities to intervene immediately.
Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, the chief cleric and head of the moderate Hurriyat Conference, voiced serious concerns during his Friday sermon at Srinagar’s historic Jamia Masjid. He described the shop’s opening as a “deliberate attempt to destroy the cultural and religious values of Kashmir” and warned that people would take to the streets if such actions continued.
“This is not just about alcohol — it’s an attack on our identity,” said Mirwaiz. “We are already battling a growing drug problem, and now the government wants to promote liquor too.”
The liquor shop had reportedly been shifted from Pantha Chowk to Batamaloo due to the ongoing Amarnath Yatra. However, traders and locals rejected the justification that liquor sales support tourism. “Tourists come here for the natural beauty, not alcohol,” said Wasim Afroz Khan, vice-president of the Batamaloo Traders’ Association.
Following the backlash and Mirwaiz’s statement, the authorities are said to have sealed the shop later that day.
This is the first known instance since the 2019 revocation of Article 370 — which stripped Jammu and Kashmir of its special status — that the administration has reversed a decision under pressure from public protests.
The controversy comes amid a wider debate over the government’s new excise policy, which proposes opening liquor shops at tourist locations like Gulmarg, Pahalgam, and Sonmarg, as well as seven areas within Srinagar city. Earlier this year, the excise department had invited bids for 305 liquor outlets across the Union Territory.
The move has faced criticism from various political parties and civil society. PDP’s Mir Muhammad Fayaz recently introduced a bill in the assembly seeking a complete ban on liquor in the region, while PDP leader Mehbooba Mufti’s daughter, Iltija Mufti, has launched a signature campaign against liquor sales. Even BJP leaders like former deputy CM Nirmal Singh and Waqf Board Chairperson Darakshan Andrabi have voiced support for banning liquor.
Despite the official claim that the number of liquor shops in the region hasn’t increased, the opposition to their presence — especially in Muslim-majority areas like Srinagar — continues to intensify.
