Avinash Azad
Days after a viral social media video stirred public outrage by showing a social media influencer allegedly consuming liquor inside a hotel in Katra—the base town for the revered Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Ji Shrine—the issue of alcohol availability in the sacred region reached the floor of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly on its final sitting on Wednesday.
BJP MLA Baldev Rai Sharma raised the matter with pointed questions about the presence of wine shops in the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi (SMVD) Constituency and whether the government planned to formally declare the area an “alcohol-free zone” in view of its religious importance. In a written reply, the government clarified: “There is one retail wine shop operational in the constituency at Panchayat Bhaga, Reasi.” While the number may seem small, the incident involving liquor use in Katra has reignited public demands for stricter enforcement and a formal designation of the constituency as alcohol-free.
Govt Points to Existing Prohibition Order
Responding to the second part of Sharma’s question—whether the administration intends to officially declare the SMVD Constituency as an alcohol-free zone—the government revealed that restrictions are already in place: “The sale /possession /consumption of liquor in Katra and adjoining areas has been prohibited by SDM, Katra vide Order No. SDM/K/J/2024-25/01-16 dated 02/02/2025.” The order, which predates the recent hotel party controversy, indicates that the local administration had already moved to protect the religious sanctity of the shrine town. However, enforcement lapses may be at the heart of the current backlash.
The Katra Controversy: A Trigger Point
The debate over liquor sales in the Vaishno Devi region intensified following a viral video on social media showing a well-known influencer purportedly consuming alcohol during a party hosted in a hotel just a few kilometers from the shrine. The footage drew sharp criticism from devotees, religious leaders, and civil society members who called it an insult to the spiritual significance of the pilgrimage town. While the government has cited the SDM’s prohibition order, there is still no formal notification declaring the entire SMVD Constituency as an “alcohol-free zone” under law. Legal experts suggest such a move would require broader legislative backing and consistent enforcement protocols.
