Nadda writes to Kharge, questions Congress' 'stoic silence' on Tamil Nadu hooch tragedy

New Delhi: BJP chief J P Nadda on Monday wrote to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, questioning the "stoic silence" of his party on the recent hooch tragedy which left several people dead in Tamil Nadu.

Tamil Nadu hooch tragedy was entirely a "man-made disaster", Nadda said in his letter to Kharge, adding "perhaps if the deep nexus between the ruling DMK-INDI alliance dispensation and illicit liquor mafia did not exist today, 56 lives could have been saved".

Nadda said the ghastly images of burning funeral pyres from Karunapuram village in Kallakurichi in the aftermath of Tamil Nadu's "worst ever' spurious liquor consumption tragedy, that has left 56 dead until now and almost 159 persons hospitalised, has shaken the conscience of the entire nation".

"Kharge ji, as you know Karunapuram is largely populated by the Scheduled Castes, who face several challenges due to poverty and discrimination in Tamil Nadu. In light of this, I was shocked that when such a huge disaster has taken place, the Congress party led by you, has maintained a stoic silence on this," the BJP president said.

"Certain issues require us to rise above and beyond party lines and the welfare and safety of the SC, ST community is one such issue," he added.

Nadda asked Kharge to press upon the "DMK-INDI Alliance" government in Tamil Nadu to go for a CBI probe and ensure the "immediate removal" of State Prohibition and Excise Minister S Muthusamy from his post.

He also demanded that the amount of compensation to be given to the kin of the victims be enhanced to a "reasonable level" to ensure that these families have adequate support.

"Kharge ji today it is time to truly walk the talk on 'nyay' and not reduce it to a catchy campaign slogan, deployed for the launch of a failed political dynast. Today, the people of Tamil Nadu and the entire SC community are witnessing the double speak of the Congress party and particularly of Rahul Gandhi and leaders of the INDI Alliance," the BJP chief said.

Suddenly, all the "sanctimonious preachings" of Rahul Gandhi about the Constitution and ensuring the welfare and rights of SC/OBC community have stopped, he charged.

"It is time to act Kharge ji. Empty words, peddling fake narratives and hollow promises will not undo the 'anyay (injustice)' heaped upon the SC victims and their families by the DMK-INDI ALLIANCE government," he added.

The BJP chief also urged Kharge to pursue Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra to either pay a visit to the victims' families or at least muster the courage to raise their voice on this issue rather than maintaining a "deafening selective, hypocritical silence".

He further underlined that there seems to be "a penchant" for illegal liquor business and "sharab ghotala" (liquor scam) amongst various constituents of the opposition's INDIA bloc, saying such "proclivities" damage the nation and society.

'You ought to purge your alliance of such elements, who go against the basic philosophies of Mahatma Gandhi ji who was strictly against alcohol consumption and indulge in patronising illicit liquor trade or liquor scams," Nadda added.