“No time for politics…govt is taking action”: BJP leader Rajiv Pratap Rudy on Bihar hooch tragedy

Patna (Bihar) [India], October 18 (ANI): Following the Bihar hooch tragedy, BJP leader Rajiv Pratap Rudy on Friday said that the state government is taking action, adding that this is no time for politics.

“Well, it is a matter of deep concern and it has happened in my district. From what information I have, inter-state operators are involved. Action should be taken, I am deeply concerned about the death of so many people. This is no time for politics. I am sure the government is taking action,” Rudy said.

Reacting to Tejashwi Yadav’s statement on CM Nitish Kumar that “he is incapable of handling Bihar,” Union Minister and JD(U) leader Rajiv Ranjan asked people to take Tejashwi Yadav “seriously.”

“Don’t take seriously what Tejashwi ji or his father says,” Rajiv Ranjan said.

Union Minister and HAM(S) leader Jitan Ram Manjhi asked were his parents ever able to handle the state during their regime.

“Were his parents ever able to handle the state during their regime which used to be defined as ‘jungle raj’.?…This is a common thing and an inquiry is being done. This shows the sensitivity of the government,” Jitan Ram Manjhi said.

Earlier today, Tejashwi Yadav, slammed Nitish Kumar and its Cabinet following the hooch tragedy, which claimed several lives due to the consumption of spurious liquor in the state.

Yadav claimed that despite Kumar’s party being the third largest party in the NDA coalition, he did not express any condolences over the tragedy and said that he was laughing at the deaths and mocked the people of Bihar as well as the democracy.

He further attacked the Bihar CM and said that Kumar did not have any communication with the media, public or the victims following such an incident.

“Even after more than 100 people died due to poisonous liquor, the Chief Minister and the Cabinet Minister were laughing loudly in the middle of Patna! The Chief Minister of the third largest party, who did not even express condolences, laughing and making others laugh at so many deaths, is mocking the people of Bihar and democracy. Despite such a huge incident, the CM had no communication with the media, no communication with the public, no communication with the victims,” the RJD leader said in a post in X.

Taking to X, Yadav wrote that the ideological and political ambiguity of the CM resulted in a big flop of the liquor ban in the state.

“Liquor ban is a small example of Nitish Kumar’s institutional corruption. If a liquor ban has been implemented, then it is the government’s responsibility to implement it completely but due to the ideological and policy ambiguity of the Chief Minister, the liquor ban is a super flop in Bihar today. Due to the unholy nexus of ruling politicians–police and liquor mafia–a black market of illegal liquor worth more than 30 thousand crores has flourished in Bihar,” Yadav said in the post.

Meanwhile, the total death count in the state has now risen to 33, with 28 dead in Siwan and 5 dead in Saran.

Additionally, the opposition has lambasted the Bihar government claiming that its liquor ban policy has failed.