Kochi: Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan on Saturday said the state was replacing Punjab as the “capital of drugs” and felt ashamed that the two main sources of revenue of the southern state were lottery and alcohol.

Everybody carries campaigns against liquor consumption. Here liquor consumption is being encouraged

Khan, who is at loggerheads with the Left government over various issues including appointment to universities, said while everyone campaigned against liquor consumption, Kerala was encouraging its use. “Here, we have decided that lottery and alcohol is enough for our development. What a shameful situation for a state which has 100 percent literacy. I, as the head of the state, feel ashamed that the two main sources of revenue of my state are lottery and alcohol. What is a lottery? Has any one of you sitting here ever bought a lottery ticket. Only very poor people buy lottery tickets. You are robbing them. You are making your people addicted to alcohol,” Khan said.

While speaking at a book launch event here, Khan said that Kerala was “replacing Punjab as the capital of drugs” because the state promotes the sale of liquor.

“Everybody carries campaigns against liquor consumption. Here liquor consumption is being encouraged. What a shame,” Governor said.

In September, the Kerala Governor and state Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had traded barbs with the former hitting out at the ruling LDF over the state’s revenue generation being largely dependent on lottery and liquor sales.