Belagavi : Dr. G. Parameshwara, the Karnataka Home Minister, gave the Assembly his word on Tuesday that he would take legal action to control hookah bars in the state.
The topic was brought up by BJP member C.K. Ramamurthy, and it was extensively discussed during the meeting.
He mentioned that the number of hookah bars in Bengaluru has increased and that the state capital now has more hookah bars than New Delhi. S. Suresh Kumar, a fellow BJP member, interjected and said that ten states—Gujarat, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Maharashtra, and Tamil Nadu—have outlawed hookah bars.
The exposure to smoke in hookah bars is extremely dangerous and 200 per cent more toxic than just smoking, he said, calling for the hookah bars to be banned completely.
BJP’s Arvind Bellad stated that in Punjab, people are sending their children of 15 and 16 years outside their state for ensuring that they don’t get trapped into addiction. Hookah bars are the stepping stones for path that leads to drug addiction. They will have to banned totally, he said.
In response, the Home Minister said that the number of hookah bars has gone up in Bengaluru and other places but the Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) is not giving trade license.
Since 2022, the proprietors of hookah bars have been in business thanks to approval from the Food Safety Authority of India (FSAI). The hookah bars were recently approved by the court. They are able to function in commercial settings that host bars, tea shops, and coffee shops,” he added.
In the event of a rule violation, police verification is provided. However, he continued, the state is powerless over hookah bars.
Parameshwara reported that on October 19 and 19, there was a fire incident in the Bengaluru neighborhood of Koramangala, where gas cylinders were kept on the third floor. Fortunately, no fatalities were reported. According to Parameshwara, one person jumped from the building and saved his life.
“We can’t tolerate the hookah bars. Action needs to be taken in the interest of the future of youth. Hence, coordination will be ensured with different departments and separate legislation will be formed in this regard. If the previous BJP government would have banned the hookah bars, there would have been no problem now,” he said.
“According to my opinion, banning of hookah bars is not a solution for the problem. They need to be regulated,” he added.
There is no question of compromise when it comes to drugs and hookah bars. The police have been conducting operations against them always, he stated.
Parameshwara also said that in the last four years, 102 cases of violation have been filed against hookah bars.
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