Srinagar, May 12 -- Days after raising the issue during his Friday sermon, Mirwaiz-e-Kashmir Dr. Moulvi Muhammad Umar Farooq on Tuesday said the government's campaign against narcotics would not succeed unless accompanied by a complete ban on alcohol, which he said was equally destructive for families and society.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of an inauguration event here, the cleric reiterated his demand for a prohibition on liquor, arguing that several non-Muslim majority states, including Tamil Nadu, had moved to close liquor shops due to alcohol's damaging social impact.

"The government cannot justify acting against one intoxicant while staying quiet on another. Both drugs and alcohol are deeply harmful. Action against nar...