Chirag Paswan Bats For Toddy In Dry Bihar Ahead Of Election, Says 'Can't Be Classified As Alcohol Because...'

Chirag Paswan visited Hajipur on Thursday. He argued that neera and taadi, natural substances, shouldn't be classified as alcohol.

Bihar News: Union Minister Chirag Paswan visited Hajipur, his Parliamentary constituency, on Thursday, March 6, where he backed toddy, a locally made alcoholic drink. Chirag was in Hajipur to attend a wedding, where he also spoke to the media.

Responding to RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav's statement that his government would lift the ban on toddy if elected, Chirag Paswan said that his party, LJP (Ram Vilas), supports the policy of 'Bihar First, Bihari First'. "We have always said that toddy and neera cannot be classified as alcohol because they are natural substances," he said.

Neera is a non-alcoholic drink made from the sap of palm trees, while toddy is the alcoholic version of the same drink. Neera can ferment into toddy within hours of extraction.

"We have also raised this issue within the alliance. I believe that when a government supported by 'Bihar First, Bihari First' comes to power, we shall respect the views and concerns of the large community that has been associated with neera and toddy for generations. A natural substance cannot be classified as alcohol," Paswan said.

What Did Tejashwi Yadav Say?

Tejashwi Yadav held a press conference in Patna on Thursday (6 March 2025). He said that if his government came to power, it would exempt toddy from the prohibition act of 2016.

He posted on X (formerly Twitter), "Under the prohibition law, about 12.8 lakh people have been jailed, of whom 98.99% are from Dalit and extremely backward castes. The NDA government has used this law to harass the poor. A large population of Dalits and Pasis are being subjected to physical, social, mental and economic exploitation."

Tejashwi says, "The ban on toddy has created a serious livelihood crisis for the Pasi community. You all know that 'Toddy' is natural. Around 2% of the population lost their employment (because of the ban on Toddy)...The Pasi community is suffering economically and socially and when police beat them, they suffer physically too...If we form the government (in Bihar), we will exclude Toddy from the Bihar Excise Act 2016."