Srinagar, May 16 -- Police on Friday stopped a protest march of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), demanding a complete ban on liquor in Jammu and Kashmir, said officials. Scores of BJP leaders, led by party general secretary Anwar Khan, tried to take the protest march towards the residence of chief minister Omar Abdullah at Gupkar, they said. Carrying banners and placards, the protestors opposed the operation of liquor shops in the Union Territory. Khan said they strongly protested against the Omar government for allegedly backing the promotion of liquor in J&K. "We appealed to all religious scholars, social leaders, and members of civil society to come together and raise a united voice against this issue. Despite our peaceful march being stopped by police, the message has been delivered to the government: until liquor shops near religious places, educational institutions, and residential areas are shut, our democratic protest will continue," he said, adding that the people of Kashmir will not allow the land of saints to be turned into a hub of alcohol culture. This comes days after a war of words erupted between the chief minister (CM) Omar Abdullah and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader Itlija Mufti over the issue. The NC rival, PDP, has been seeking ban in liquor shops in Jammu and Kashmir. However, linking the alcohol consumption to individual freedom, CM Omar had ruled out imposing ban. NC president and former CM Farooq Abdullah had said that the government will impose a ban if the Centre compensated the J&K government. Liquor sales have generated over Rs.3,450 crore in revenue during the last three financial years, as per data shared by government during legislative assembly. Former Srinagar mayor, Junaid Azim Mattu, said, "Now that the BJP, the principal opposition party in the J&K Assembly, has declared its stand seeking prohibition of alcohol, the NC must rise to the occasion and bring a bill enacting to ban sale and consumption of alcohol. There is no wiggling room now." The National Conference, however, blamed the BJP and PDP for introducing a new excise policy which paved the way for opening new liquor shops in J&K. "We fully respect the sentiments of these 20 BJP workers. But one must ask: which government was in power in J&K when the 2017 Excise Policy made municipal wards and tehsils the basis for identifying unreserved areas? And which government was in office in 2022 when liquor sales were permitted in grocery shops?" questioned NC on its official X account. It is pertinent to mention that in 2017, the PDP and BJP were running a coalition government in the state....