It may be recalled that when excise minister MP Renukacharya proposed a 2-am deadline for star hotels, the then police commissioner Shankar Bidari had strongly opposed it.
The stage appears to be set for another round of confrontation between the departments of home and excise on the issue of bar girls.
Excise minister MP Renukacharya on Wednesday went public with his anger against the police drive against bar girls. “It is not illegal to employ girls in the bars, but it is up to the police department to see they are not indulging in any illegal activities,” he said.
The minister also announced that bar owners have been directed to instal CCTVs cameras to ensure no illegal activities take place in their premises .
Shortly after assuming charge, police commissioner Jyothi Prakash Mirji gave strict instructions to the cops not to allow any kind of illegal activities in the bars, especially where women are employed as bartenders. As soon as the police began cracking down on the watering holes that employ bar girls, high-end liquor joint owners appear to have rushed to to the excise minister with their complaints.
It may be recalled that when excise minister Renukacharya proposed a 2-am deadline for star hotels, the then police commissioner Shankar Bidari had strongly opposed it. Renukacharya’s efforts to have his way were foiled with the intervention of then home minister VS Acharya and backing from chief minister BS Yeddyurappa.
Interestingly, the happenings in bar and restaurants with women bartenders is again showing all signs of blowing up into a turf war between the excise and home departments.
“At present, Bangalore city has 48 bars that employ women as bar tenders. As per the Supreme Court and high court orders, bars and restaurants can employ women as bar tenders. We cannot control that as the Supreme Court had ruled it as legal in Hotel Management Association Vs Anju George case in 2007. The same was cited by the Karnataka high court on September 24, 2008 and the high court also said that women can serve liquor in bars. As per that, we have allowed them to employ bar girls, but they should not indulge in obscenities,” said Renukacharya.
The minister said, “We have no power to impose a dress code for the women employees of a bar. However, we are not allowing dance bars and discotheques. We have not ordered the closure of any restaurant. The police have only booked cases against restaurants saying that the women employees were used for other illegal activities.”
“We are doing our duty; the police should do their duty and should not take undue advantage and override us. They are unnecessarily interfering in our area of work. Our officers are capable of handling their responsibilities,” Renukacharya said.
“The excise department is not promoting western culture in the name of bar girls. It is just following the court order. People should not mistake the department. If any licence-holder violates the rules, we will cancel their licence immediately. In the meantime, as per the rule to avoid illegal activities in the restaurants, we have instructed bar owners to instal CCTV cameras,” said Renukacharya.
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