Ban on hookah bars?

Karnataka is seriously considering a complete ban on hookah bars, in concurrence with licensing authorities like the BBMP, announced Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai in the Legislative Assembly. Replying to a question raised by Congress member Sowmya Reddy during Question Hour on Tuesday, he said the government was consistently cracking down on illegal hookah bars. It was considering a ban on hookah bars on the lines of what had been done in other States, he added.

On the drug menace, the Home Minister said crackdown had gone beyond routine raids and seizures. “For the first time we have been able to crack down on synthetic drugs coming through the dark net,” he said.

Mr. Bommai said that rules, which earlier weighed more in favour of the accused, are now being strengthened. “Things are set to change,” he promised.

Hoping that vigil will remain strong, Ms. Reddy said, “Crackdown on drug peddlers and suppliers cannot be seasonal like mangoes or avarekai, something that lasts only a couple of months.”