However, owing to the brazen flouting of social distancing norms in the queues outside some of these shops today, cops had to rush in to chase people away and in a few places, the liquor shops were asked to down their shutters due to the heavy rush and big crowd.
Long queues and huge crowds marked the outsides of liquor shops across India as several of them re-opened shutters on Monday after an order by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) allowed liquor shops across the country to open, except in containment zones, hoping to generate revenues.
However, owing to the brazen flouting of social distancing norms in the queues outside some of these shops today, cops had to rush in to chase people away and in a few places, the liquor shops were asked to down their shutters due to the heavy rush and big crowd.
1. Police lathi-charges to scatter crowd outside liquor stores
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Social distancing norms were flouted by eager patrons standing in a long queue outside the premises of a liquor store in Delhi's Kashmere Gate, to the point that the Delhi Police had to resort to lathi-charge to scatter the crowd gathered there.
Long queues and huge crowds were also witnessed outside other liquor stores in the national capital, such as one on Desh Bandhu Gupta Road.
2. Across several states
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Crowds were also witnessed outside liquor stores in other states, including one in Rajnandgaon in Chhattisgarh.
Long queues were seen outside the liquor stores after they were allowed to reopen across several states in the country during the extended phase of lockdown beginning today.
3. Liquor shops in Delhi asked to down shutters
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Liquor shops have been asked to down shutters in Delhi due to heavy rush and a big crowd.
The East Delhi DCP has ordered the closure of all liquor shops in the area due to massive crowds and lack of social distancing.
4. WB: People gather to buy alcohol near Chief Minister's residence
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More than 100 people were witnessed outside a liquor shop in Delhi's Malviya Nagar.
In West Bengal, a stone’s throw away from Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s residence in Kalighat, several stood in a queue outside the wine shop waiting for it to open. While the shop was to open at 3 pm, people were seen queuing up since early morning. As soon as police got the information, cops from the Kalighat Police Station rushed to chase these people away.
5. Sale of alcohol allowed with conditions
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On Friday, the Ministry of Home Affairs in its order has allowed the sale of non-essential items but with a few conditions. The ministry said that alcohol shops that fall under the Orange and Green zones will be allowed to open as long as they maintain social distancing norms and no more than six people allowed.
The government had also said that they must be standalone alcohol shops and not situated near a residential colony.
No shops will be allowed to open in the areas declared as red zones and lockdown rules will remain enforced in these areas.
