Now Reading: Kerala govt questions horti wine sales in bakeries
-
01
Kerala govt questions horti wine sales in bakeries
The Story in Brief
Kerala Excise Minister M Liju on Sunday, 18 October 2026 said he has sought a report from the Excise Commissioner after a firm in Chalakudy began selling low-alcohol horti wine through bakeries under rules amended by the previous LDF government in 2024. Liju said the commissioner might have acted within the rules but should have informed the minister, and raised concerns about social implications of supermarket and bakery sales.
The Hindu reports that Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan flagged the ‘unconsulted’ order and that Liju revoked the licence. Former Excise Minister M.B. Rajesh of the CPI(M) called the government’s move a political stunt, noting the LDF had amended the rules but never issued a licence under them due to social sensitivities. The UDF government faced similar controversy in June 2026 over a budget proposal for alcopop sales.
Indian Opinion Analysis
India Today and Deccan Chronicle report the story as a routine administrative query by the Excise Minister, sticking to his statement that the commissioner may have followed the rules. The Hindu instead leads with the government hastily distancing itself from an ‘unconsulted’ order and devotes more space to opposition criticism, including the CPI(M) claim that it is a political stunt, and to a parallel alcopop controversy from June 2026. The balanced reading is that the UDF government is publicly disowning a licence issued under rules it inherited, while the minister concedes the licence was technically valid. The next test is what the Excise Commissioner’s report reveals and whether the government amends the rules.
Coverage: 3 sources, 1 government-critical, 2 neutral
Sources (3): indiatoday.in (neutral report), deccanchronicle.com (neutral report), thehindu.com (government critical)
This brief was synthesised by AI from the 3 sources linked above, so one read covers every framing they carry. Methodology and corrections.
