PATNA: Left parties, led by CPI-ML, which is part of the Grand Alliance government, joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in demanding compensation for the Saran hooch tragedy victims.
On Monday, the CPI-ML held a state-wide protest and demanded payment of compensation to the deceased families of the hooch tragedy, their rehabilitation, education of their children, opening of de-addiction centres at each block headquarters, and against providing political and administrative protection to the liquor mafia.
The CPI, CPM, and CPI-ML have 16 members in the legislature of which 12 are from CPI-ML.
The CPI-ML state secretary Kunal said on this occasion that the party has always supported the prohibition law, but it does not mean that those who drink alcohol should be made criminals. тАЬThis is a social evil, so the government must give compensation to the families of those killed in the Saran incident,тАЭ he said.
Citing the prohibition law, he said that there is a provision in it to confiscate the property of the liquor mafia and give compensation.
The government has already given compensation in the Khajurbani case in Gopalganj. The CPI-ML leader alleged that despite the prohibition law, the liquor mafia is standing under political-administrative protection.
Blaming the BJP for shedding crocodile tears in this matter, he said, тАЬBJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat have the highest number of deaths due to spurious liquor. A truck full of liquor was recovered from a school run by a BJP leader,тАЭ Kunal alleged.
Later a delegation of CPI-ML legislators under the leadership of CPI-ML Legislature Party leader Mehboob Alam handed over a letter to the chief minister demanding compensation to the deceased relatives of the Saran hooch tragedy and a high-level inquiry into the political and administrative protection of the liquor mafia.
тАЬThe CM listened seriously to the demands of the CPI-ML delegation and assured legal action on them. We also said that there should be a high-level inquiry into the matter. The chief minister agreed with the arguments of the CPI-ML delegation,тАЭ said Alam.
Earlier, a team of CPI-ML leaders had visited Mashrak and Marhoura in Saran and met the families of the victims of the hooch tragedy.
On Sunday, BJP Rajya Sabha MP and former deputy CM Sushil Kumar Modi demanded compensation for families of those who died after consuming spurious liquor in Saran.
