India, May 12 -- A political war of words has erupted in Jammu and Kashmir over the issue of liquor sales in the union territory, with chief minister Omar Abdullah and most of his National Conference defending the sale, while the opposition and one of his own party MPs oppose it.

The row erupted over the CM's response to a reporter's question on Sunday on the 2026 liquor policy in the context of the UT government's 100-day anti-drug campaign. Omar Abdullah said that people consume alcohol of their own will, and the government was not forcing anyone to visit liquor shops.

That is where the current row began, although discourse around addiction and liquor consumption in Jammu and Kashmir has been going on for quite a while.

"These shops ...