'It was my mistake to...': Omar Abdullah clarifies stand on liquor ban in J&K
Abdullah said the issue required a more detailed explanation than the one he gave on Sunday.
- May 12, 2026,
- Updated May 12, 2026 7:14 PM IST
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday said he made a mistake by speaking on liquor consumption in the Union Territory without fully explaining his position. He said the opposition twisted his remarks on a liquor ban and clarified that liquor shops are meant only for those whose religion permits alcohol consumption.
Don't Miss: Big move by Vijay govt: 700+ liquor shops near temples, schools to be closed
On Sunday, Abdullah refused to directly answer a question on banning liquor in Jammu and Kashmir and asked whether anyone was being forced to drink. "You are going to liquor shops on your own will. We are not dragging you there. We are not advertising it," Abdullah had said while responding to a question on banning liquor in the Union Territory.
Omar Abdullah clarifies
Addressing the controversy, Abdullah said the issue required a more detailed explanation than the one he gave on Sunday.
“It’s my mistake - I keep talking to you (media) on a roadside. You ask a question which requires a detailed answer, but due to paucity of time, I answer in such a way that is being twisted by our opponents,” he was quoted as saying by NDTV.
Abdullah added that liquor shops in Jammu and Kashmir were meant only for people whose religion permits alcohol consumption.
"In J&K, no government has banned liquor shops. Let those people consume liquor whose religion allows them to do so. Our religion forbids alcohol, and we don't want anyone to take liquor,” he said.
The chief minister also said that his government had not opened any new liquor shops since the elected government came to power in October 2024.
He added that he did not want liquor outlets operating near places where young people could be influenced to consume alcohol.
“Our opponents are misinterpreting my statement to hide their own mistakes. If my statement was so wrong, what did they do when they were in the government?” Abdullah said.
PDP accuses Omar Abdullah of taking a U-Turn
Iltija Mufti, daughter of former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti, accused Abdullah of taking a U-turn on the issue of liquor sales in Jammu and Kashmir. She said the chief minister's "refusal to prohibit liquor shops lacks logic."
"He claims it's wrong to impose a ban on Hindus consuming alcohol since their religion doesn't forbid it. If this is the case, how have Hindu-majority states like Gujarat and Bihar banned alcohol successfully without a whimper? We are proud of J&K's secular credentials, but deeply unfortunate and insensitive for its Chief Minister to dismiss the religious sensibilities of the majority with such indifference,” Mufti said.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday said he made a mistake by speaking on liquor consumption in the Union Territory without fully explaining his position. He said the opposition twisted his remarks on a liquor ban and clarified that liquor shops are meant only for those whose religion permits alcohol consumption.
Don't Miss: Big move by Vijay govt: 700+ liquor shops near temples, schools to be closed
On Sunday, Abdullah refused to directly answer a question on banning liquor in Jammu and Kashmir and asked whether anyone was being forced to drink. "You are going to liquor shops on your own will. We are not dragging you there. We are not advertising it," Abdullah had said while responding to a question on banning liquor in the Union Territory.
Omar Abdullah clarifies
Addressing the controversy, Abdullah said the issue required a more detailed explanation than the one he gave on Sunday.
“It’s my mistake - I keep talking to you (media) on a roadside. You ask a question which requires a detailed answer, but due to paucity of time, I answer in such a way that is being twisted by our opponents,” he was quoted as saying by NDTV.
Abdullah added that liquor shops in Jammu and Kashmir were meant only for people whose religion permits alcohol consumption.
"In J&K, no government has banned liquor shops. Let those people consume liquor whose religion allows them to do so. Our religion forbids alcohol, and we don't want anyone to take liquor,” he said.
The chief minister also said that his government had not opened any new liquor shops since the elected government came to power in October 2024.
He added that he did not want liquor outlets operating near places where young people could be influenced to consume alcohol.
“Our opponents are misinterpreting my statement to hide their own mistakes. If my statement was so wrong, what did they do when they were in the government?” Abdullah said.
PDP accuses Omar Abdullah of taking a U-Turn
Iltija Mufti, daughter of former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti, accused Abdullah of taking a U-turn on the issue of liquor sales in Jammu and Kashmir. She said the chief minister's "refusal to prohibit liquor shops lacks logic."
"He claims it's wrong to impose a ban on Hindus consuming alcohol since their religion doesn't forbid it. If this is the case, how have Hindu-majority states like Gujarat and Bihar banned alcohol successfully without a whimper? We are proud of J&K's secular credentials, but deeply unfortunate and insensitive for its Chief Minister to dismiss the religious sensibilities of the majority with such indifference,” Mufti said.