• Members of the Indian Hotel and Restaurant Association (AHAR) announced a statewide strike in Maharashtra on July 14, where bars and permit rooms will halt operations.
• The strike will oppose the Maharashtra state government’s increase in value-added tax (VAT) to 10 percent on liquor, a 15 percent increase in annual license fees, and a 60 percent rise in excise duty, which the group states would be harmful for business.

1. The strike is expected to be widely adhered to, given that members of the AHAR group in cities such as Mumbai, Pune, Nashik, and Nagpur have confirmed full participation, per July 12 reports, coupled with the resonance of the issue. The strike is likely to be accompanied by potential protests in cities like Mumbai and Pune, despite the lack of formal announcements from the group.  Should the protests occur, these protests are likely to take place in public spaces and outside government buildings such as the state legislature in Mumbai. Per standard protocols, the authorities will likely bolster the security measures in the vicinity of the aforementioned locations in the form of barricade placement and the presence of police personnel.
2. There remains a latent risk of localized scuffles between demonstrators and the police. Should this happen, the authorities are likely to use crowd control measures such as temporary detentions of the protesters to quell such localized unrest. Disruptions to liquor distribution services are anticipated during the strike hours. Vehicular and pedestrian traffic disruptions are also anticipated in the vicinity of potential demonstration sites on July 14.

Those operating or residing in Maharashtra, including Mumbai and Pune, on July 14 are advised to maintain vigilance due to the slated statewide strike and potential demonstrations and associated risk of scuffles, while allotting for travel disruptions.