Patna: Criticising the Nitish Kumar-led Bihar government over the recent hooch tragedy, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) Chief Lalu Prasad Yadav on Sunday described the incident as "unfortunate" and lamented the widespread deaths.
"The government is ineffective. The deaths caused by illicit liquor are tragic. There have been fatalities everywhere. It's deeply saddening," said Lalu Yadav.
The Bihar hooch tragedy has claimed the lives of 33 people, with 28 deaths reported from Siwan and 5 from Saran.
This incident has sparked a political blame game, with opposition parties questioning the effectiveness of the liquor ban imposed by the Nitish Kumar government on the sale and consumption of alcohol.
Criticising the NDA government, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav accused Nitish Kumar's liquor ban of being the "biggest corruption" of his administration, alleging that a "parallel economy" worth Rs30,000 crore operates under the guise of the JDU and its leaders.
In a post on X, Yadav wrote: "The Chief Minister who opened liquor shops at every square and intersection in Bihar and caused thousands of deaths due to spurious liquor in the name of prohibition is now pretending to be a Mahatma. Nitish Kumar promoted alcohol consumption in Bihar during his first 10 years in office and is now facilitating the sale of illegal liquor. Can Chief Minister Nitish Kumar deny these facts?"
Union Minister Chirag Paswan on Saturday assured that strict action would be taken against those responsible for the tragedy, promising that no one would be spared.
"It is deeply saddening that many people have lost their lives due to the consumption of illicit liquor. Investigations are underway, and several suspects have been arrested. This highlights the seriousness of our government. Those involved will face strict action, and no one will be exempt," Paswan stated. (ANI)
