Bihar Hooch Tragedy: Six Die From Illegal Liquor, Nitish Kumar Loses Cool In Assembly, BJP Seeks Apology

Following six deaths in Bihar from spurious liquor, the Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has asked Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to call an all-party meeting and reconsider Bihar's prohibition policy.  

The Opposition BJP and ruling Janta Dal-United (JDU) of Nitish also clashed inside the Bihar assembly. While the BJP called for an apology from Nitish and raised slogans in the well of the assembly, the JD (U) lashed out at the BJP.

Nitish also angrily lashed out in the assembly. Visibly agitated and throwing his hands around, Nitish directly addressed Opposition MLAs and said they would no longer be tolerated.

The assembly was adjourned as the chaos did not subside. The BJP took its protest outside and addressed the reporters.

How BJP mounted an attack on Nitish Kumar

BJP MLAs entered the well of the assembly hall, raised slogans accusing the Nitish Kumar government of failure to stop the sale of illicit liquor and demanding compensation to family members of those who lost their lives.

Outside the House, Leader of Opposition Vijay Kumar Sinha told reporters, “The Chief Minister owes his current term in office to us (BJP) but he ditched us and joined those (RJD) he had been accusing of jungle raj. In their company he has picked up their ways, which is evident from the intimidating and insulting language he used against us on the floor of the House.”

Leader of the Opposition in Vidhan Parishad, Samrat Chaudhary said, “We are appalled to learn about the behaviour of the chief minister inside the assembly. He seems to have lost his moorings and should resign.”

Separately, BJP leader and Union minister Giriraj Singh asked Nitish to reconsider the Bihar prohibition policy, claiming that it has failed with illegal sale of spurious liquor causing frequent deaths and rise in crimes linked to it.

Singh told reporters outside Parliament that Nitish should convene an all-party meeting on the issue and take a decision accordingly. 

"If a policy is not successful, then it should be reconsidered...Every day people in Bihar are dying due to spurious liquor while Kumar remains obstinate about his policy which has failed. Crime is on a rise. Liquor has become like God which may not be visible but is present everywhere in the state," Singh said.

He also slammed Kumar for flowing into a rage over BJP members' attack on his government in the state assembly over the deaths allegedly due to spurious liquor, saying this "tasteless" conduct showed his frustration as his hold on power has become more tenuous.

Pataliputra MP and former Union minister Ram Kripal Yadav echoed Singh's view and said Nitish should not make prohibition a matter of personal prestige. 

"He should either implement it effectively or resign," he added.

How JD (U), Nitish's ally RJD responded 

Bihar Parliamentary Affairs minister Vijay Kumar Chaudhary said, “BJP members should understand that consuming liquor in Bihar is a crime and deaths thus caused cannot be compensated for. It will be tantamount to supporting liquor consumption”.

Bihar Minister for Prohibition Sunil Kumar took exception to BJP's charge that prohibition was being flouted because the violators received “protection” from the ruling dispensation.

“When the BJP was our ally, their leaders never made such an allegation. They should remember that crimes punishable under the IPC and the CrPC have not stopped even though these codes have been in place since the British Raj,” said Kumar.

Meanwhile, RJD MLA Sudhaker Singh said that BJP having shared power with Nitish Kumar has “no moral right to raise a hue and cry on the matter”. 

But he seconded the view that prohibition was “a complete failure” in Bihar.

“The matter should be investigated by a commission of inquiry headed by a sitting High Court judge. Almost every day hundreds of people get arrested for consuming alcohol. How is liquor available to so many people if those in power are not involved in some way?” asked Singh, who has an axe to grind against the government ever since he was made to resign a few months ago after repeated outbursts in public regarding corruption in the agriculture department that he headed. 

Six deaths in Bihar's Saran district

The politcal fighting stems from six deaths in Bihar's Saran district from illicit liquor. 

Bihar is a dry state. Sale and consumption of alcohol was completely banned in Bihar by the Nitish Kumar government in April 2016, though its implementation has been patchy.

Three persons each have died in Isuapur and Mashrak police station areas after allegedly consuming spurious liquor on Tuesday night, according to Santosh Kumar, Superintendent of Police, Saran.

He said, “We have sent the six bodies for post mortem. The report will ascertain the cause of death. Local villagers claim that the deceased had consumed liquor. Six more persons who had fallen ill are undergoing treatment at hospitals. We are trying to record their statements."

(With PTI inputs)