A heated political confrontation arose in the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly over the issue of hookah bars and alleged illegal activities associated with them. During the Question Hour, Deputy Leader of the Opposition Ramkesh Meena raised the matter, inquiring about actions taken against hookah bars in the state. Minister of State for Home Affairs Jawahar Singh Bedham compared the previous Congress government with the current BJP regime, leading to objections and protests from Congress MLAs.
Bedham stated that during the Congress tenure, hookah bars were widespread, with 55,326 cases registered in 2022. The number decreased to 25,885 in 2023 and further dropped to 12,598 due to effective government actions. He alleged that nearly 55,000 hookah bars operated during the Congress rule, sparking uproar from the opposition. Speaker Vasudev Devnani intervened, emphasizing the need to stop hookah bars regardless of the ruling party and urged for strict law enforcement.
Amid the commotion, Government Chief Whip Jogeshwar Garg highlighted the accountability that follows political comparisons in the House, escalating tensions. Speaker Devnani called for heightened vigilance by the Home Department across Rajasthan to crack down on hookah bars without political bias. Minister Bedham clarified that the current government had formed a special task force to combat narcotics and unlawful activities, resulting in 284 challans and five cases against hookah bars from 2023 to 2025, with fines totaling Rs 56,000.
