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‘Many benefits to alcohol’: Chhattisgarh minister at de-addiction event
The minister was at a de-addiction event when he was seen addressing the audience, suggesting that there is a proper way of drinking alcohol.
A video of a Chhattisgarh minister holding forth on how liquor unites people - he was speaking at a de-addiction event - has gone viral on social media. Referencing 'Madhushala' - a poem by noted writer Harishvansh Rai Bacchhan - Prem Sai Singh Tekam defended alcohol and declared that people should have greater self-control.
"People talk about alcohol and the harms associated with it... but no one talks about the many benefits also attached to it. Also, when we talk about alcohol, we should remember the proper way of drinking it... there is dilution and there is a proper ratio in which alcohol should be diluted with water," he said.
"I once went to a meeting where they spoke for and against liquor. One side spoke of its benefits. Liquor should be diluted and there should be a duration (to consume it)."
Another video from the same event shows him holding forth on a different topic - about about how roads in poor conditions result in fewer accidents.
"We receive phone calls for repair work but wherever roads are in poor condition fewer accidents occur. Wherever the roads are good, accidents occur every day." He argued people speed on roads in good condition, which results in accidents on a day-to-day basis.
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On being asked about the poor conditions of roads, the minister claimed repair work may have been halted by the monsoon.
"Roads should be good but everyone should show restraint…," he said, adding that whether it is speeding, mobile phones, drugs, or cigarettes, people should have self-control.
The minister was answering questions posed by the media during the event.
