A faction of ascetics and the Shri Brahmin Sabha have opposed the State Government’s decision to allow operation of a liquor bottling plant at Devprayag. They have also threatened to boycott Ganga Snan during Kumbh Mela 2021 if the State Government does not revoke its decision. The protest by the ascetics at Devpura Chowk entered third day on Wednesday with former president of Akhil Bharatiya Akhada Parishad (ABAP) Baba Hathyogi joining the protest.

A relay hunger strike was started by a faction of ascetics on September 2 against the State Government for giving licence to open the liquor bottling plant in Devprayag. Joining the protest on Wednesday, Baba Hathyogi said, “The decision of the State Government is not only affecting the image of Dev Bhoomi Uttarakhand but also polluting the Ganga river since the liquor plant will pollute the river. It seems Kumbh Mela would be conducted not in holy Ganga- the river of faith but ‘river of liquor’. So, we appeal to the Akhil Bharatiya Akhada Parishad too to oppose the decision of the State Government.”

Many social outfits have come in support of the protestors, including Devbhoomi Society, Samajik Sena. Speaking to this correspondent, Shri Brahmin Sabha national president Adheer Kaushik said, “We are not in opposition of the Bharatiya Janata Party Government. In fact, we struggled to get the party in power but we are opposing this policy of the State Government in which they have allowed 13 liquor plants to be opened in the mountainous regions of Uttarakhand. The chemical will be drained into Ganga river through the natural water springs which merge in the Ganga. No one would like to have holy dip in liquor affected Ganga.” Kaushik further added that many other eminent people of society like Charanjeet Pahwa, Shiv Sena district head had extended support to their opposition.

The ascetics protesting against the liquor plant included Mahant Vinod Giri,  Mahant Bhaskar Puri, Swami Shokananand, social activist JP Badoni and others.