Bengaluru liquor ban to be called off at 6pm, Section 144 still in place

The liquor ban in Bengaluru that was imposed on Tuesday (July 23) following the floor test will be called off on Wednesday evening at 6 pm. All bars, pubs and liquor shops will reopen today, Bengaluru Commissioner of Police Alok Kumar said.

However, Section 144 (Power to issue order in urgent cases of nuisance of apprehended danger) will be in place till 6 pm on July 25.

Section 144 (unlawful assembly) was imposed in Bengaluru for two days by the Commissioner of Police, starting from 6 pm on Tuesday. The prohibitory orders were at first placed around the Vidhana Soudha building but later extended to the entire city. "Today and tomorrow we are imposing Section 144 across the city. All pubs, wine shops will be closed till 25th July. If anyone is found violating these rules, they will be punished," the Bengaluru top cop had said.

Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, was imposed after clashes erupted between workers of the Congress and the BJP outside an apartment on Race Course Road where two rebel Independent MLAs were allegedly lodged.

The 14-month-old Congress-JD-S coalition government fell on Tuesday evening after it failed to prove majority in the floor test in the Karnataka Assembly.