Giriraj Singh on Bihar’s Liquor Death Row: Nitish Should Resign If His Govt is Unable to Implement Policies

GG News Bureau

Patna, 15th Dec. Union Minister Giriraj Singh slammed Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Thursday over the hooch tragedy in the state’s Chhapra region, in which 39 people died, and said that if Kumar’s policies were not being implemented on the ground, the chief minister should resign.

“This incident is the misfortune of Bihar. Since the liquor policy has been implemented in Bihar, several thousand people have died, mostly poor. But Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s sympathy is not awakened and when someone raises it in the House, he is treated in a way that no one expects from a CM,” Minister of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Department Giriraj Singh said.

“If your police are not able to implement your law and policies then you should resign. He (Nitish) is in huge frustration. He is in fear and that is why he has said in the future Tejashwi Yadav will be the leader,” he said.

“Do whatever you can but free people from the death caused by liquor,” the Minister added.

The death toll from the consumption of spurious liquor in Saran district’s Chhapra region rose to 39 on Thursday.

Following the tragedy, 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 Bihar chief minister told the media here on Thursday that while the liquor ban has benefited many, there are those who cause problems.

“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,” Nitish Kumar told reporters.

On the day after the tragedy, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar lost his cool in the state assembly when opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders attacked his government over the rising number of deaths in the spurious liquor incident in Saran district.

Kumar chastised the BJP for protesting the deaths, despite the fact that Leader of the Opposition Vijay Kumar Sinha has questioned the state’s liquor ban policy since 2016.

Nitish Kumar lost his cool in the House, yelling at BJP MLAs, “Sharabi ho gaye ho tum… (you are drunk)”

The Nitish Kumar government banned the sale and consumption of alcohol in Bihar in April 2016.