Union Food Processing Minister Chirag Paswan has said toddy should not be treated as liquor under Bihar’s prohibition law, calling it a natural product. His remarks follow RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav’s promise to exempt toddy-tapping from the liquor ban if voted to power.
Union Food Processing Minister Chirag Paswan on Monday said toddy should not be classified as liquor, calling it a “natural product” and expressing concern over its inclusion under Bihar’s prohibition law. Responding to Opposition leader Tejashwi Yadav’s recent remarks, Paswan, who heads the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), said, “I have said many times that as an NDA partner, my party may be supporting the government in the state, but it is not part of the regime here. I certainly believe that toddy, a natural product, must not be considered liquor.”
His comments came a day after RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav promised to exempt toddy-tapping from the prohibition law if his party comes to power in the upcoming Bihar assembly polls. Speaking at a convention of the Pasi community in Patna on Sunday, Yadav said the community, which has traditionally depended on toddy-tapping for livelihood, has been severely affected by the liquor ban.
The Paswan and Pasi communities have been historically involved in the toddy trade in Bihar, where total prohibition was imposed in 2016 under the Nitish Kumar government. Yadav argued that many in the community lack agricultural land or alternative skills, and the ban has pushed them into economic distress.
Paswan’s remarks underline growing political attention on the social impact of prohibition in Bihar, especially among Dalit communities that rely on traditional occupations.
