Bihar excise minister Sunil Kumar said Monday 38 people had died – the ‘official’ death toll – in the hooch tragedy that has rocked the state since December 14. Kumar’s assertion – ‘as per conversation with concerned officials of excise, police and district administration’ – is much lower than that of various media reports, while hospital records accessed by Hindustan Times this week suggested that at least 70 died after consuming spurious liqour.
Former Bihar deputy chief minister and Bharatiya Janata Party leader Sushil Modi has claimed the actual death toll is over 100 and that many of the families are afraid of police action.
“Our official figure, as per the conversation with the concerned officials of excise, police and district administration, is 38,” the minister was quoted by ANI, and added, “If anyone has any doubts, or there is a report… you can make a submission separately.”
Read more | Bihar hooch tragedy: Nitish says ‘piyoge toh maroge’, BJP mounts attack
Bihar – where liquor has been prohibited by chief minister Nitish Kumar’s government since April 2016 – has reported (yet another) wave of deaths linked to the consumption of local liqour; at least 70 deaths were reported from Saran district where, as of Sunday, another 30 were hospitalised. Deaths have also been reported from Siwan and Chhapra districts.
The tragedy has taken a predictable political twist with the Janata Dal (United)-Rashtriya Janata Dal and the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party sniping at each other as people die.
Chief minister Nitish Kumar’s insistence on a prohibition policy – despite sketchy implementation – has been criticised by the opposition, and his attempted counter-attacks have devolved into trying to shout down rivals and warn them ‘peeyoge toh maroge’.
Earlier today the BJP’s Sushil Modi – once the Bihar deputy chief minister – slammed Nitish over his statement that families of those who died would not get compensation. He cited ‘media reports’ to remind the JD(U)boss he had promised ₹4 lakh in such cases.
The hooch tragedy echoed in the Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha on Thursday after the BJP hit out at the Bihar government, prompting the chair to adjourn the House thrice in 40 minutes.
The Nitish Kumar government also continues to face opposition from the BJP in the state Assembly over what the saffron calls ‘complete failure of liquor prohibition’. On Monday, the last day of the winter session, a ruckus erupted in the Assembl, prompting an adjournment.
Meanwhile, two people allegedly linked to the liquor mafia were arrested in connection with the Saran hooch tragedy, police said Sunday. Saran Superintendent of Police Santosh Kumar said they had identified as Akhilesh Kumar Yadav, alias Akhilesh Rai, and Anil Singh.
(With HT and agency inputs)
