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Journalism of Courage
As the hooch death toll climbed to 38 in Saran district of Bihar, a state where there is complete prohibition, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar Friday rejected demands for compensation to the families of the victims, saying “Sharab pi kar mara hai toh compensation kaisa (if death is due to liquor consumption, where is the question of compensation).”
Countering criticism from the Opposition BJP, Nitish Kumar told the state Assembly that even Prime Minister Narendra Modi had praised Bihar’s prohibition law during his visit to the state. He said he was being targeted by the BJP because he and his party were no longer part of the NDA. He sought to know if the BJP wanted him to lift prohibition.
“I often say ‘piyoge toh maroge’ as a matter of caution and awareness against the evil of drinking… Prohibition has also been in force in the state (Gujarat) of one (Modi) who is ruling the country… When the Prime Minister visited Bihar in 2017, he praised our prohibition law. We are perhaps the only state that has been trying to enforce prohibition strongly,” he said.
Targeting the media for not reporting in great detail on hooch deaths elsewhere, the Chief Minister said, “There were hooch deaths in Gujarat but the media reported it just one day. West Bengal’s recent hooch case was also under-reported… There were hooch deaths in other states, say MP, where there is no prohibition.”
“Now that I am no longer with them, they (BJP) are targeting me.. But I am again going to people to warn them about those speaking in favour of liquor consumption.”
BJP legislators, who walked out of the Assembly before the Chief Minister spoke, met the Governor over rising hooch cases. They also raised what they said was the matter of the CM “threatening” Leader of Opposition Vijay Kumar Sinha Wednesday.
Joining the House proceedings in the second half of the day, Sinha said, “After Saran, there is now report of hooch deaths from Siwan. There is a need to assess the entire liquor law. We demand a judicial probe into the hooch deaths.”
The BJP received support from unexpected quarters. RJD MLA and former minister Sudhakar Singh demanded compensation for the families of the hooch victims.
Singh told The Indian Express: “CM Nitish Kumar had ill-treated our MLAs when we were in the Opposition. Now, he has threatened BJP Leader of Opposition Vijay Kumar Sinha. It is against parliamentary norms to target the Leader of Opposition like this… I also demand compensation for the families of the hooch victims. It was the failure of the state police which was unable to check the sale of illicit liquor. The state is responsible for the hooch deaths.”
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