John Brittas Slams Mallikarjun Kharge Over Remarks on Kerala Liquor Outlets

Thiruvananthapuram: John Brittas has sharply criticised Mallikarjun Kharge over his recent remarks on the number of liquor outlets in Kerala, calling them “misleading” and politically motivated.

Brittas stated that Kharge’s statements were made based on a “script” prepared by senior Congress leader K C Venugopal. He argued that it was inappropriate for Kharge to comment on Kerala’s liquor policy while representing Karnataka, which he claimed has a significantly higher number of liquor outlets.

According to Brittas, Karnataka has over 11,000 foreign liquor shops, and questioned how Kharge could criticise Kerala under such circumstances. He was responding to Kharge’s claim that Kerala has more liquor outlets than milk booths.

The MP further stated that Kerala has one of the lowest numbers of liquor outlets in South India, despite receiving over 2.5 crore tourists annually. He added that bars and beer parlours are an essential component of the tourism sector.

Brittas also made personal remarks about Kharge’s leadership position within the Congress, suggesting that he is not the party’s “real high command,” and expressed sympathy over what he described as the situation within the party.