What happened
The Lakshadweep administration amended the 1979 Prohibition Regulation in February 2026, permitting alcohol service at government-run dak bungalows on Chetlat, Bitra, and six other inhabited islands — positioned as a move to meet international tourism standards. The islands' permanent population is approximately 99% Muslim; the 1979 prohibition had been enacted at the community's explicit request. Local MP Hamdullah Sayeed demanded immediate rollback and threatened legal action; the administration, which is headed by an appointed Union Territory administrator with no elected legislature to answer to, was not required to respond. Four days before the liquor order, the same administration had declared every Wednesday a compulsory No Vehicle Day to protect the islands' fragile environment. Same week: no motorbikes for locals, but cocktails for tourists at the dak bungalow. The government guesthouse had stocked the fridge before the community could file a petition.