Bihar hooch tragedy: Liquor mafia, police are hand in glove in name of management, says BJP

New Delhi [India], December 17 (ANI): Amid fears of rising death toll in Chhapra hooch tragedy, BJP spokesperson and former Bihar MP Shanawaz Hussain on Saturday accused the state government of hiding the actual number of deaths.

“The number of people who died due to drinking spurious liquor in Bihar is continuously increasing and the administration is trying its best to hide it. People are watching how poor and Dalit people have lost their lives. BJP is not against liquor ban but we are against free home delivery,” Hussain told ANI. The death toll in Bihar’s Chhapra due to the consumption of spurious liquor has mounted to 65. The incident was initially reported on Wednesday.

Hussain while reacting to the state Deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav’s remark that the liquor is being brought from the neighbouring state Uttar Pradesh and Haryana, said that the government should not evade responsibilities.

He accused the state police of helping the liquor mafia.

Attacking Nitish Kumar over his statement, ‘piyoge to maroge’ (If you drink, you will die) in the state assembly, Hussain said, “The Chief Minister is saying that if you drink you will die but what will happen to their children. If someone drinks, will his family be punished for his mistake? Government said that we will not even give compensation to the one who drank alcohol and died. What will happen to their children then?”

The BJP leader said that Nitish Kumar being the chief of the state should wipe the tears of those children who lost the head of the family.

“Nitish Kumar Ji, heal their wounds, don’t rub salt on them. We have the culture of Vikramshila Nalanda. The language you are using is not appropriate,” Shahnawaz said.

“The government is making an allegation that the liquor is coming from the BJP-ruled states, but they are not naming Jharkhand and Punjab from where it is being brought, because there is no BJP government there. If anything illegal is coming, then stop it, as you are in government. Today, a large number of liquor mafia, police and ruling parties are taking great advantage of it, as a result of which free home delivery is being done in the state,” Hussain claimed.

Most deaths reportedly occurred over Wednesday and Thursday, evoking an uproar inside and outside the Bihar Assembly.

The Opposition, led by the BJP, took on the ruling JD(U)-RJD over the rising hooch deaths despite a ban on the sale and consumption of liquor in the state, which has been in effect since April 2016.

Amid severe criticism from the Opposition, led by the BJP, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Friday said that no compensation will be given if a person dies after consuming spurious liquor.

“No compensation will be provided to people who die after consuming spurious liquor. We have been appealing to you not to drink. If you drink, you will die. Those who speak against prohibition will not bring any good to the people,” the Bihar CM said in the Assembly on Friday.