"Where were you earlier?": Tejashwi compares hooch tragedy to BJP-ruled states

Patna (Bihar) [India], December 15 (ANI): As Bharatiya Janata Party MPs from Bihar raised the hooch tragedy issue in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday leading to a ruckus, Bihar Deputy Chief Minister and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav slammed the BJP, saying they only have an agenda of "spreading hatred and lies".

Tejashwi Yadav went on the offensive and attacked the BJP for remaining "silent" on the issue of liquor in their own states.

"It is the BJP-ruled states that come among top 3-4 states (deaths due to spurious liquor). If you compare Bihar and Gujarat, 50 such deaths were reported in 4 years whereas 21 were in Bihar. The agenda of BJP's people is to only spread hatred and lies," Yadav said while talking to ANI on Thursday.

The ruckus continued in the Rajya Sabha leading to the adjournment of the House thrice within a short period of 40 minutes with both the treasury benches and the Opposition raising their matters.

Speaking about the protest by several BJP MLAs outside the state assembly on Thursday over the hooch tragedy, Yadav said, "Where was the BJP four months back when liquor was being found in the houses of relatives of one of their ministers?"

The recent hooch tragedy, which has so far claimed 39 lives, has triggered a political slugfest in Bihar with the Nitish Kumar-led 'Mahagathbandhan' and opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) trading charges in the Bihar assembly too.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar entered the State Assembly in Patna through a gathering of BJP MLAs protesting the Chapra hooch tragedy.

The protesters were holding banners and raising slogans against the government.

Earlier in the day, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar told mediapersons waiting for his reaction on the 39 deaths so far in the Chhapra hooch tragedy that if "someone consumes spurious liquor, they will die" as he came under heavy pressure on his allegedly failed excise policy.

Defending the liquor ban in Bihar, he said that the state's prohibition policy has benefitted several people and a large number of people have given up drinking alcohol due to his measures.

"The liquor ban has benefited several people. A large number of people have given up alcohol...This is good. Several people have happily accepted this. But there are some troublemakers. I have told officers to identify the actual troublemakers and nab them," Kumar told the media in Patna.

"I have told officers that they shouldn't catch the poor. People manufacturing liquor and carrying on liquor trade should be caught," Kumar said.

The chief minister also said: "I am ready to give Rs 1 lakh each to people to start their own work. We'll raise the amount if needed, but nobody should get involved in the liquor business."

"Last time, when people died due to spurious liquor, someone said they should be compensated. If someone consumes spurious liquor, they'll die - an example is before us. This should be condoled, those places should be visited and people should be explained about the fallout of their action," Nitish Kumar said.

After the first death late Tuesday in a Chhapra hospital, the toll reached 39 on Thursday.

In its wake, Masrakh Station House Officer (SHO) Ritesh Mishra and Constable Vikesh Tiwari were suspended on the recommendation of Marhaura Sub-Divisional Police Officer, Yogendra Kumar.

The sale and consumption of alcohol were banned in Bihar by the Nitish Kumar government in April 2016. (ANI)