The News Minute | October 31, 2014 | 4.10 pm ISTThe division bench of the Kerala High Court on Friday stayed the single bench’s order that had partially okayed the Kerala government’s prohibition policy. The single bench on Thursday had said that heritage bar hotels, four and five star bars can function. The three star bar owners approached the division bench asking why only the four and five star bars should be allowed to function. They said that the right of equality was being violated. The Kerala government had held in its policy that only five star bars can function in the state. It appealed against the single bench’s order asking why four star bars were permitted. The division bench said that the issues need to be heard further and only then can a final judgement be given. It therefore stayed the prohibition policy. It said that all 250 bars that had been shut can function for a month more.The division bench will now hear the pleas of bar owners and the government.The order of the court has come as a severe blow to the Congress government in Kerala.Kerala Congress President V.M. Sudheeran said that the division bench’s order does not reflect the will of the people. “We wanted to reduce the availability of liquour in the state and that is why we made a prohibition policy. It was what the people wanted. The current order does not reflect the people’s will,” he said.