Delhi gets liquor-booking app that barely works, AAP gives 24-hour to withdraw it

Delhi's latest digital convenience comes with a spirited political debate, and a very bad user experience.The Delhi government launched an app that allows residents to book whisky, beer and other alcoholic beverages online, pay digitally, and collect their bottles from designated liquor shops within 48 hours. But the initiative has triggered a political row, with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) accusing the Rekha Gupta-led BJP government of prioritising alcohol over public services.AAP leaders Saurabh Bharadwaj and Manish Sisodia have criticised the scheme, with Bharadwaj giving the government a 24-hour ultimatum to withdraw it or face protests. The controversy comes against the backdrop of Delhi's bitter history of liquor-policy disputes, which had put the previous AAP government under intense scrutiny. For now, however, the more immediate question for prospective users is whether the new app can deliver on its basic promise.Bharadwaj also took a dig at the chief minister with the slogan, "Har Har Rekha, Ghar Ghar Theka". He also said that after the BJP government opened large liquor showrooms across Delhi, it was now allowing people to book liquor from home. Meanwhile, the Delhi State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation (DSIIDC) said on Wednesday that the online liquor-booking app was approved by the previous AAP-led government in Delhi in 2024 to bring greater transparency to retail sales and curb the practice of pushing specific brands.CAN YOU BOOK WHISKY, BEER WITH DELHI'S LIQUOR-BOOKING APP?When India Today Digital tested the Delhi government's Delhi Liquor Booking app on Wednesday, the experience was far from smooth. It was a struggle to open the application on one Android phone, while logging in using another took nearly half an hour. Even after access was secured, repeated logouts, unresponsive stock pages and error messages made booking a bottle an exercise in patience. The glitches also raised questions about the app's most useful feature — checking whether a preferred brand is available before travelling to a shop.At the DSIIDC outlet in Saket Square Mall, liquor was listed as out of stock on the app. Both whisky and wine appeared unavailable, while the Nehru Place DSIIDC store displayed an error during the booking process.The bad experience was not limited to the Android application. The app did not appear to be listed on Apple's App Store when India Today Digital checked. Reviews on Google's Play Store contained complaints about technical glitches, slow performance, stock availability and inaccurate information about products. The user interface of Delhi's Liquor Booking app (Left). An error message appeared while attempting to book liquor from the Nehru Place DSIIDC store (Right). WHAT DOES THE DELHI LIQUOR BOOKING APP OFFER?The Delhi State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation (DSIIDC) has introduced the online booking facility across its 208 liquor outlets in the national capital. The app is aimed at allowing users to browse listed brands, select bottle sizes and quantities, choose a participating store and pay online. A booking QR code is generated for collection.The idea is to reduce long queues outside liquor shops, ease pressure on payment counters and allow customers to check availability before making a trip. Liquor brands that are widely available in other cities are often hard to find in Delhi since the government took over retail sales. Availability has become a hit or miss, with drinkers often settling for whatever is in stock rather than finding their preferred brand.Online booking and payment are also intended to improve transparency in billing and pricing. The service, however, does not offer home delivery. Customers must collect their purchases from the selected outlet within 48 hours of payment.The facility is currently restricted to DSIIDC outlets, even though four government corporations collectively operate more than 700 liquor shops in Delhi. Buyers must be at least 25 years old, and existing purchase limits apply. Under the rules, an individual can book up to nine litres of whisky or other spirits and 18 litres of beer. Orders can be cancelled before collection, but bottles cannot be returned after being handed over. Both whisky and wine were listed as out of stock on the app on several stores. POLITICAL ROW OVER APP, AAP GIVES REKHA GUPTA ULTIMATUMThe rollout has drawn sharp criticism from AAP, which has accused the BJP-led government of misplaced priorities.Bharadwaj, the party's Delhi unit chief, challenged the government to withdraw the scheme within 24 hours or face a mass agitation. In a post on X, he wrote, "Open Challenge to Rekha Gupta Govt. Roll back this 'Book Your Liquor' scheme in 24 hours, else we will start mass agitation & protests against BJP Govt."He accused Chief Minister Rekha Gupta of being concerned about drinkers waiting in queues at liquor shops while ignoring patients waiting at hospitals, women waiting for Pink Cards and people affected by alleged voter deletions during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise. "We will not let BJP continue this anti-people liquor scheme," he said.Saurabh Bharadwaj also said, "If Rekha Gupta does not roll back this scheme, the minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa will have to be sacked for this scheme. We will ensure Sirsa is sacked. Even his Master AS won't be able to defend him."Sisodia, the former Delhi deputy chief minister, also attacked the initiative, describing it as the Rekha Gupta government's "door-to-door liquor delivery" service. He claimed the BJP had earlier spread misinformation about the AAP government's liquor policy and accused it of now promoting a system that prioritised alcohol over schools and medicines in hospitals."Children need schools, but those aren’t there; medicines are needed in hospitals, but those won’t be available; but liquor will be delivered to every home," Sisodia said.His description of the app as a door-to-door delivery service, however, does not reflect how the current facility works. Customers must collect their orders from a designated shop; home delivery is not available.THE OLD DELHI LIQUOR POLICY CONTROVERSYThe political exchange revives memories of the Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22, introduced by the AAP government in November 2021 to overhaul the liquor retail and licensing system.The policy shifted retail sales to private licensees and sought to change the way liquor was distributed and sold. In July 2022, a report by Delhi's chief secretary flagged alleged procedural irregularities and financial losses to the exchequer. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Enforcement Directorate (ED) subsequently registered cases, with investigators alleging that the policy had been manipulated to favour certain liquor businesses in exchange for kickbacks.AAP denied the allegations and described the cases as politically motivated.The controversy led to the policy being scrapped in 2022 and government corporations returning to retail liquor sales. Several senior AAP leaders, including Sisodia and party chief Arvind Kejriwal, were arrested during the investigations. In February 2026, a trial court discharged Kejriwal, Sisodia and other accused in the CBI case, citing serious shortcomings in the prosecution's case; the separate ED case remained pending, according to reports.The latest political clash shows how liquor remains a sensitive issue in Delhi's politics.An app designed to help customers avoid queues and confirm stock needs to work reliably before they leave home. Until it does, the promise of a quicker whisky or beer purchase risks being overshadowed by the glitches users encounter before they can place an order.- Ends(Written by Anand Singh)