Ban imposed on sale of liquor in Bengaluru on the occasion of ‘Eid-e-Milad-un Nabi’ celebrations today. When Hindus demand a meat ban during Navratri, it’s called an attack on food choice. When Jains demand a meat ban during Paryushan, it’s called an attack on food choice. But when liquor is banned to “respect sentiments” during Eid, suddenly it becomes acceptable. This double standard exposes the hypocrisy of so-called liberals and the appeasement politics of the Karnataka Congress government.
Bengaluru Police Order: Liquor Ban Ahead of Eid-e-Milad
The Bengaluru Police Commissioner has issued an order banning the sale of liquor across several areas of the city on September 5, 2025, due to Eid-e-Milad-un Nabi celebrations. Citing law and order concerns, the order invokes Section 144, prohibiting public gatherings, rallies, protests, and demonstrations during the festival. According to police estimates, nearly 50,000–60,000 people are expected to participate in the religious procession moving across major stretches of the city. To maintain “peace and public order,” liquor sales in areas under multiple police stations including Shivajinagar, Commercial Street, JC Nagar, and RT Nagar have been completely prohibited until the conclusion of the celebrations.
The “Food Choice” Argument: Selective Outrage
The hypocrisy becomes stark when compared with the treatment of Hindu festivals. When Hindu organisations or devotees demand the closure of meat shops during Navratri or around temples, it is quickly branded as “communal” or an “attack on food freedom.” Similarly, when Jains request a meat ban during Paryushan, the liberal ecosystem cries foul, claiming that such restrictions violate personal choices. Yet, when authorities enforce a liquor ban for Eid, the same critics are silent, conveniently calling it “respecting sentiments.” This selective outrage reveals how one-sided the narrative of secularism has been twisted to ridicule Hindu traditions while pampering minority sentiments.
Congress Government’s Appeasement Politics
The current liquor ban order has once again exposed the Karnataka Congress government’s double standards. Under Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, the Congress administration has repeatedly shown itself willing to bend over backward to accommodate demands linked to minority communities. But the same sensitivity is missing when it comes to Hindu practices. Congress leaders often mock or dismiss Hindu demands for meat-free zones, calling them regressive. Yet, they swiftly justify restrictions that align with festivals of other communities. This imbalance is not governance it is appeasement politics designed to secure vote banks while alienating the majority community.Respect Should Be a Two-Way Street
India’s diversity is rooted in mutual respect for faiths and customs. If a liquor ban is considered a legitimate step for Eid, why should a temporary meat ban during Navratri or Paryushan be demonised? Equality before law demands consistency. Policies must be two-way streets, not selective privileges. When rules change based on community identity, they cease to be about public safety and become about political expediency. Congress’s one-sided approach has not only deepened mistrust but also widened the perception that Hindu sentiments are being treated as second-class in their own land.
The liquor ban in Bengaluru ahead of Eid-e-Milad is not the issue. What stands exposed is the selective lens through which such decisions are framed and justified. When restrictions for Hindus are mocked as attacks on liberty but restrictions for others are hailed as “sensitivity,” it highlights the hypocrisy of the so-called secular ecosystem. The Karnataka Congress government, instead of ensuring equal respect, has chosen appeasement politics. True harmony lies in fairness either respect all faiths equally or stop politicising Hindu sentiments in the name of food choice.