At least 20 people lost their lives after consuming spurious liquor in Chapra in the dry state of Bihar, prompting a political storm over the faulty implementation of CM Nitish Kumar’s alcohol ban policy.
All the victims are men from Mashrakh and Ishauvpur areas of Saran district. “The death toll is expected to rise further,” said a government official.
As many as 70 people have died in hooch tragedies in different districts of Bihar in 2022, according to media reports.
Nine people were killed in Saran, 12 people in Banka, three people in Madhepura, 8 in Betiyah and 16 in Goplaganj district earlier this year.
These deaths have once again brought the spotlight on Bihar’s liquor prohibition policy, which has been called a failed affair by several political leaders.
On Wednesday, the issue was raised in the ongoing session of the Bihar Legislative Assembly by legislators of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Video clips of the Assembly proceedings show BJP members holding placards and raising loud slogans demanding that chief minister Nitish Kumar is booked for murder.
When BJP MLAs did not let the house function despite repeated appeals by the chair, a visibly-upset CM Nitish Kumar retorted, “You (BJP) were the one to support this law and now you are demanding its withdrawal. You people consume alcohol. You all have gone mad.”
Speaking to reporters, Leader of Opposition Samrath Chaudhary argued that the liquor prohibition has failed in Bihar and should be rolled back.
“Nitish Kumar is using the policy of liquor ban for raising his revenues. That is why he is not lifting the ban even after facing negative consequences due to its poor implementation,” he said.
BJP MLA Janak Singh demanded that a case of murder should be registered against chief minister Nitish Kumar whenever any person dies of spurious liquor.
For months, leaders of the Opposition as well as partner parties have been demanding the withdrawal of the liquor prohibition, arguing that liquor is easily available in every part of Bihar. A section of leaders of the ruling JDU-RJD alliance has even blamed the ban on liquor for its debacle in the recently-concluded Kurhani Assembly bypolls.
Dr Sanjeev, a JDU leader, said, “The government’s liquor policy is not fully successful and the main problem lies at lower levels. Policemen harass poor people by misusing this law. I am in favour of liquor ban but the manner of enforcement is not justifiable.”
Among the staunch opponents of CM Kumar’s 2016 ban are former chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi and Paswan leader and MP Chirag Paswan.
Manjhi, who heads Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) have demanded that the sale and consumption of toddy, an alcoholic beverage, be allowed in the state.
“In my opinion, toddy should not be banned. It is a natural juice, and it should not be in the category of alcohol. This ban has affected the livelihood of lakhs of people even outside of the Pasi community. They face police action due to this ban,” Manjhi argued.
Chirag, the chief of the Ram Vilas faction of the Lok Janshakti Party, recently said: “Nitish Kumar himself introduced liquor shops in every panchayat after his 2005 win. Why did you open these shops if you were going to ban liquor in 2016?”