Madras, May 8: Madras High Court has ordered closure of all state-run Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (TASMAC) liquor shops in Tamil Nadu on Friday. The court only permitted the sale of liquor online. This development comes after long-queues were seen outside liquor or alcohol stores in the state. People were seen defying the social distancing norms amid the novel coronavirus crisis. Tamil Nadu: Scuffle Breaks Out Between Protesting CPI-M Workers and Police in Madurai Over Opening of Liquor Shops Amid Lockdown; Watch Video.

Dissented over the reopening of Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL), women banded together to protest across the state today. Women said that the opening of TASMAC shops would lead to the spread of the virus as more people will gather at a location.

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Actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan also questioned the opening of liquor shops. "Doctors, healthcare workers, police officials, and sanitisation workers are risking their lives to fight corona, and the common man is locked in his house. The poor are struggling to live and at this time is it right to open Tasmac shops," questions Kamal.

The Tamil Nadu government made Rs 170 crore from liquor sales in just one day after opening alcohol outlets on Thursday. On a usual day, the state would sell worth Rs 80 to Rs 90 crore on an average. It may be noted that the state has a total of 5,146 TASMAC outlets.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 08, 2020 07:29 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).