Imran Khan made headlines back in 2011 for taking a stand against the Maharashtra state government’s decision to increase the legal age for a liquor license from 21 years to 25 years. The Bombay High Court has now admitted the PIL (Public Interest Litigation) filed by the actor for a final
hearing. “I am really thrilled,” says Imran, adding, “Having said that, I was always confident. My lawyer and I believed that we have a very strong case.”
Imran submitted the PIL in September 2011. Ask him if he feels this process takes too much time, and he says, “I was getting a bit anxious initially. But such things take time. Someone who is very well-versed with our legal system would say that this is still very fast. Otherwise, these things can go on for 10 to 15 years,” he says.
Imran also admits that his entire family, including his maternal uncle Aamir Khan, has been very supportive of his stance. “Aamir mamu had said at the very beginning, ‘Look, it’s going to be a very long and frustrating battle. But if you believe in something so strongly, you must go ahead and do it,’” says Imran, insisting that the PIL has got nothing to do with supporting or encouraging alcohol consumption. “It’s a move in support of civil liberty, and nothing else.
The idea of banning alcohol with the intent of helping people, in my opinion, is the same as telling women how to dress in order to protect them from getting raped. The intention may be correct, but not the route. In a democratic country, we cannot let this happen,” he says.