New Delhi: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has come under the target of the Bharatiya Janata Party over deaths due to spurious liquor in the state. The Opposition MLAs staged a protest outside Bihar Legislative Assembly in Patna as the CM reached there.
In a video shared by news agency ANI, Kumar can be seen making his way to the Assembly building through a crowd of protesting BJP MLAs who chanted against the state government. Kumar could be seen greeting some protesting MLAs as he entered the premises.
The BJP has been cornering Nitish Kumar over hooch deaths in the state. 39 people have died so far in Bihar’s Chapra district after consuming illicit liquor, as per a report by ANI.
Watch the video here
The furore rose after Kumar said, "someone consumes spurious liquor, they will die" when the media persons waited for his reaction on the tragedy, which has brought him under heavy pressure on his alleged failed excise policy.
Asking if Bihar is under ‘Police raj’, BJP MP Sushil Modi said, “In the past 6 years more than 1,000 people have died in Bihar due to spurious liquor and 6 lakhs have gone to jail. Is Bihar under police raj? The way Nitish kumar behaved in assembly isn't graceful, he should apologise.”
Whereas another BJP MP, Nishikant Dubey said that Nitish Kumar will lose the 2024 Lok Sabha elections after which “Bihar will be free.”
“There is no liquor ban in Bihar, it is just Nitish Kumar's ego. Many in my state (Jharkhand) are spoiled since they supply liquor to Bihar. As I said earlier, he will go home after 2024 and then Bihar will be free,” he said.
The hooch tragedy was one of the some issues that reverberated in the Rajya Sabha in the early hours on Thursday leading to the adjournment of the House thrice within a short period of 40 minutes with both treasury benches and the Opposition raising their matters.