BJP leaders and workers outside the police station protesting demanding ban on liquor in Srinagar.

Srinagar: A day after the BJP protested outside the residence of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah demanding complete prohibition in the Kashmir Valley, the ruling National Conference (NC) softened its stand on the issue and promised to ban the sale and consumption of liquor in Jammu and Kashmir.Omar and NC President Farooq Abdullah had earlier rejected calls for a liquor ban in the UT.However, on Saturday, NC chief spokesperson and MLA Tanveer Sadiq said, “Liquor will be banned in Jammu and Kashmir and the NC government will do it.” Responding to questions from media persons on BJP’s threat to launch a hunger strike to press for their demand, he said, “despite BJP’s drama on this issue”, the NC government will take a decision soon.The party now appears to be on the backfoot, even as spokespersons and senior functionaries said it was not the NC government that had come up with the current excise policy, which had allowed setting up of liquor shops across Jammu and Kashmir.NC spokesperson Imran Nabi Dar said, “I think this issue will be debated, discussed and finalized in the next assembly session.” “Already several private members have brought bills demanding a liquor ban in the last session of the Assembly. These bills are likely to come up in the next session and a decision will be taken on them,” he said, hinting that the NC may support a private member’s bill on liquor ban.There was a change in stance after BJP’s protest on Friday. The party said it would launch protests from Qazigund town in south Kashmir to Karnah area along the Line of Control in the north if the NC government failed to act.The CM had earlier courted controversy as liquor shops were for people who were allowed to drink alcohol as per their religion and no one could be forced to drink alcohol against their will. Rejecting PDP’s criticism, he said that allowing the sale of liquor does not mean promoting its consumption.Farooq, also speaking, said his father Sheikh Mohammed Abdullah had also rejected then Prime Minister Morarji Desai’s call to ban liquor in 1977, as it would have generated substantial revenue. The NC president said that imposing prohibitory orders in Jammu and Kashmir will not stop smugglers from smuggling it from outside.The debate on liquor ban began after LG Manoj Sinha launched a 100-day campaign against drugs on April 11, following which the PDP and BJP demanded that it should be extended to the sale of liquor as well.