Bihar BJP leaders march to Governor's house over hooch tragedy

Bihar BJP leaders including LoP Vijay Sinha on Friday held a protest march to the Governor's House over the Chapra hooch tragedy.

Former Deputy Chief Minister and BJP MP Sushil Modi lashed out at Nitish Kumar-led Bihar government over the hooch tragedy in Chapra, and said the state was under 'police raj' and the number of deaths in the recent hooch tragedy was much higher.

Also read — 'If you drink liquor, you will die': CM Nitish Kumar reiterates stand amid political slugfest over hooch tragedy

While speaking to IANS, he said, "More than 100 people died after drinking spurious, illicit liquor. But, the numbers are being hidden. Even in Bihar, the media has put the death toll at around 50. The people are hiding the bodies of their kins fearing police inquiry. There is police raj in Bihar. This is not the first tragedy in Bihar. Before this tragedy, 17 deaths had occurred earlier due to illicit liquor in the same district".

"It is not like Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is not intending, but his will to control the situation is dead. He is making statements like 'jo piyega woh marega' out of frustration in the Assembly. This shouldn't be the language of a Chief Minister," he said.

The Bihar hooch tragedy toll climbed to 28 with two more deaths reported, a top Saran district official said told PTI on Thursday.

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Thursday warned that if people drink spurious liquor, they will die.

The chief minister's blunt comments came as his policy of prohibition came under attack from many quarters including from his former political strategist turned activist Prashant Kishor, who demanded scrapping of the prohibition law.

More to follow...