Patna, February 18 – Nearly a decade after the complete prohibition was implemented in Bihar, the ban on alcohol has once again come under intense political scrutiny. Leaders from both the ruling alliance and the opposition are questioning its effectiveness, amid continued reports of illegal sales, home delivery of alcohol, and repeated arrests.
During heated exchanges in the Bihar Assembly, lawmakers debated the failure of enforcement and demanded a comprehensive review of the prohibition policy, which has been in place since 2016.
RJD MLA Bhai Virendra said he was willing to undergo any test to prove his sobriety and demanded that if the government conducts tests, they should include alcohol, non-alcoholic beverages, marijuana, and tobacco, and apply uniformly to everyone.
CPI(ML) MLA Sandeep Saurav alleged that the prohibition law had completely failed, claiming that liquor is being openly manufactured in homes and has turned into an underground business.
CPI MLA Ajay Kumar said that prohibition would only succeed when politicians and officials stop consuming alcohol themselves, despite the ban.
Bhojpuri actor and former RJD Vidhan Sabha candidate Khesari Lal Yadav remarked that bans often only exist on paper.
“Anything that is banned publicly continues to operate internally. There is no point in banning it,” he said, reflecting growing public skepticism.
Congress MLA Abhishek Ranjan, who openly demanded a review of the prohibition law on Tuesday, reiterated on Wednesday that the truth would come out if blood tests were conducted on MLAs, government officials, and police personnel.
“If blood tests are conducted on MLAs, officials, and police, the reality of prohibition will be exposed. Home delivery of liquor is still available,” Ranjan said, adding that the government should admit failure and reassess the policy.
His remarks further heated the political atmosphere in the Assembly.
Responding sharply, Bihar’s SC/ST Welfare Minister Lakhindra Paswan said he was ready for a blood test but demanded that Leader of the Opposition Tejashwi Yadav be tested first.
He also called for names to be disclosed if anyone had concrete information about liquor consumption.
“We are ready for an investigation. Conduct a test on Tejashwi Yadav first,” Paswan said, while also advocating a review of the prohibition law.
Rashtriya Lok Morcha MLA Madhav Anand reiterated his demand for reviewing prohibition, stating that it has caused economic losses to the state and failed to curb illegal liquor trade.
“Complete prohibition has failed. Home delivery exists, and we are always ready for testing,” Anand said, adding that while the law has been amended several times, periodic review is essential.
Minister Ramkripal Yadav also offered to undergo a blood test, asserting that the prohibition law is successful and should be strictly followed.
Meanwhile, parliamentary affairs minister Vijay Choudhary maintained that there was no need to review the existing prohibition law, underlining divisions even within the ruling establishment.
Bihar enforced complete prohibition in 2016 with the aim of curbing alcohol consumption and improving social indicators.
Despite multiple amendments to the law, illegal smuggling, home delivery, and deaths caused by spurious liquor continue to be reported, raising serious questions about enforcement and effectiveness.
With growing dissent across party lines, demands for a structured review of the prohibition policy are gaining momentum both inside and outside the Assembly.