Delhi takes on plea against its drinking age rule | Economic Times

Delhi is not going to back down on its decision to bring down the legal age for drinking from 25 to 21 years.If 18 years is okay for voting, then why not drinking, the AAP government asked in response to a plea filed in Delhi HC against the decision."If a person can vote at the age of 18 years, to suggest that above 18 can't drink is to live in an ivory tower. Just because it is permitted for a person to drink doesn't mean drunken driving is also allowed," it said.Delhi government referred to drunk driving because the forum that filed the plea is called 'Community Against Drunken Driving'. The plea had held that lowering drinking age could lead to more cases of drunk driving."Drunken driving is not permissible in law. So whether the minimum age is 21 or 25, it doesn't matter," Senior Advocate Rahul Mehra, appearing for the Delhi government, said."There are laws to prevent drunk driving and these are being enforced," senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi told a bench of Chief Justice DN Patel and Justice Jyoti Singh.A Division Bench of Chief Justice DN Patel and Justice Jyoti Singh on Tuesday sought response from Delhi Government and other respondents. The matter has been slated for hearing on September 17.The plea also sought mandatory age check at places selling and serving alcohol, such as bars, pubs, liquor vends, eateries, etc. It also sought to restrain the Delhi government from bringing into force the new Excise Policy 2021-22 until a strong age verification mechanism is set up.