New Delhi/Thiruvananthapuram, June 26 : The political battle over the V.D. Satheesan government's proposal to reduce the tax on low-alcohol beverages intensified on Friday, with the CPI-M mounting a robust defence of its earlier liquor policy even as religious leaders called for caution and wider consultations on the contentious issue.

Seeking to draw a clear distinction between the Left government's policy and the present proposal, CPI-M State secretary M.V. Govindan said the LDF's objective had never been to facilitate multinational liquor companies but to promote value-added agricultural production that would benefit Kerala's farmers.

Speaking to the media in Delhi, Govindan said the concept of producing low-alcohol beverages formed part of the LDF government's policy during his tenure as Excise Minister.

The idea, he explained, was to utilise agricultural produce such as cashew, apples and other farm commodities to create value-added products that could improve farmers' incomes.

The policy, he said, had been discussed in detail before it was formulated.

According to him, liquor companies, including Bacardi, approached the government only after the policy was in place, seeking distribution rights.

The LDF's focus, he maintained, was on encouraging production using locally available agricultural raw materials rather than facilitating the sale of branded products of multinational companies.

He argued that the issues of production policy and taxation were being deliberately conflated by critics.

While the earlier policy related to agriculture-based production, the present controversy centered on the government's proposal to revise the tax structure for low-alcohol beverages, he said.

Govindan also clarified that he was no longer Excise Minister when the matter was referred to the Assembly Subject Committee in January 2022 and that the file had not been processed during his tenure.

Questioning the present government's handling of the issue, Govindan said it was unusual that the file reportedly reached the Chief Minister within three days of the new government assuming office and criticised the decision to include the proposal in the Budget without wider consultations with coalition partners or the Opposition.

The controversy also drew reactions from religious leaders.

Syed Jifri Muthukoya Thangal, President of the Samastha (EK faction), reiterated that Islam prohibited all forms of liquor.

At the same time, he acknowledged that framing liquor policy was the prerogative of the elected government and said they do not expect a policy should be formed on Muslim doctrine.

Welcoming Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan's decision to initiate wider discussions on the issue, Archbishop Mar Joseph Pamplany of Thalassery described the move as commendable and stressed that no policy on alcoholic beverages should create the impression of encouraging substance abuse, underscoring the need for caution and social responsibility.

With the government expected to consult coalition partners before taking a final call, the debate over Kerala's evolving liquor policy is poised to remain at the centre of the state's political discourse.

/IANS