Bengaluru, Jan. 28 -- Opposition parties BJP and JD(S) on Tuesday staged a protest on the Vidhana Soudha premises against alleged large-scale corruption within the state excise department and also alleged disrespect shown to governor Thaawarchand Gehlot by the state government.

The Karnataka Wine Merchants' Association has accused the state excise department of involvement in what it described as a Rs.6,000 crore fraud during the two years of the current government. The association said it would write to senior Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi to draw attention to the alleged irregularities.

At the center of the claims are CL-7 bar licences, which are issued to hotels and boarding houses and allow them to serve liquo...