Crores of people drink liquor in the country, should all of them die, BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi asked on Thursday, slamming Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for his "jo piyega, woh marega" jibe as political heat rises in the state amid mounting toll in a hooch tragedy.
Modi told PTI that Kumar had earlier also made remarks like those who drink are "mahapapi" (big sinners) and they can't be Indians. It is inappropriate of the chief minister to make such remarks while people die due to consumption of spurious liquor in Bihar, where prohibition is in place, he added. Union minister Giriraj Singh cited Kumar's comments to jeer at him, saying if people vote for him, they will die as this is the example in front of them.
Sushil Modi said illegal trade of liquor has become a "parallel economy" in Bihar and alleged that crores of rupees are being pocketed by those tasked with implementing prohibition in the state. The former Bihar deputy chief minister, however, said the BJP supports prohibition and that its leaders' demand of a rethink on the policy is related to sorting out problems in its implementation. Children are being used for home delivery of liquor and drug abuse is on the rise as the policy has entirely failed, he alleged.
"Nitish Kumar imposed prohibition. So, it is his responsibility to ensure that it is successful. The entire government machinery is working on this one issue and still, it cannot do it," the senior BJP leader from Bihar said. "We (BJP) are not in favour of ending it," he added.
After Bihar's hooch toll officially climbed to 26, Kumar on Thursday warned that if people drink spurious liquor, they may well die. "Jo piyega, woh marega (those who drink spurious alcohol will die)," he thundered, maintaining that prohibition was "not my personal wish but a response to the cries of the women of the state".
Some BJP leaders have put the toll of the hooch tragedy at over 50, saying many bereaved families avoid informing authorities due to fear of harassment. Over four lakh people have been jailed for allegedly violating prohibition, with nearly 1,500 being arrested daily on an average, Modi said, questioning if this shows the policy's success or failure.
BJP IT department head Amit Malviya said only an "insensitive" leader can make such a statement as he criticised the Janata Dal (United) chief. "So far 39 people have died. Some families are so poor that they are seeking donations for cremation. But the narcissistic Nitish is worried about the success of prohibition," he claimed.
