Prashant Kishor, the architect of the Jan Suraj movement, has claimed in a recent interview that if his party forms the government in Bihar in the 2025 assembly elections, the state’s alcohol prohibition will be lifted within an hour. Kishor argued that no society, state, or country has ever achieved development through alcohol prohibition, citing the lack of historical evidence supporting its benefits.

Kishor criticized current Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and his supporters, questioning their claims that Mahatma Gandhi advocated for alcohol prohibition through legislation. He challenged them to provide any such statements from Gandhi. He added that if Gandhi had indeed made such a statement, he would be willing to apologize to Kumar. Kishor likened the situation to a hypothetical scenario where Gandhi’s advocacy for vegetarianism could be used to justify a law imprisoning non-vegetarians.

He further pointed out that despite the alcohol ban, its implementation in Bihar is ineffective. He noted that while liquor shops are closed, home delivery services have continued, resulting in a significant loss of revenue—around ₹20,000 crore annually—for the impoverished state. Kishor alleged that this money ends up in the hands of corrupt police officers, officials, and criminal syndicates.

Kishor also highlighted the negative impact of the prohibition on marginalized communities, noting that the majority of those jailed under the ban are poor and belong to the Dalit community. He emphasized that women, in particular, are suffering due to the burdens placed on their families by the prohibition enforcement.