The death toll from the hooch tragedy in Tamil Nadu's Kallakurichi district has risen to 63, according to the District Collectorate. At least 78 people are still receiving treatment in hospitals across the state. The case is being investigated by the Crime Branch CID (CB-CID), and it has been confirmed that the deaths were due to the consumption of illicit liquor mixed with methanol.
The total number of people affected by the consumption of illicit liquor has now increased to 229.
Tamil Nadu Hooch Tragedy: NCSC Criticises Government
The National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) has criticised the Tamil Nadu government for not taking action against the manufacture and sale of illicit liquor in the state. Earlier on Wednesday, National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) Chairman Kishor Makwana, met the families of hooch tragedy victims in the Karunapuram area and criticised the government for not taking action against the manufacture and sale of illicit liquor in the state. He offered his condolences to the deceased and prayed for the speedy recovery of those who are undergoing treatment.
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has also taken cognizance of the incident and issued notices to the Tamil Nadu Chief Secretary and the Director-General of state police, seeking a detailed report on the incident within a week.
Hooch Tragedy: Opposition AIADMK Suspended For Entire Session
The incident, meanwhile, has triggered a political flashpoint between the ruling DMK led by Chief Minister MK Stalin and the AIADMK in the Opposition.
The AIADMK legislators were suspended for the remaining days of the assembly session, with Stalin reiterating that the state government was "ready to reply to questions".
"But opposition leaders are not accepting this, and speaking outside is not acceptable. It's done for cheap publicity," the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister said.
However, the Leader of the Opposition, Edappadi K Palaniswami, claimed the suspension was "already planned".
"We were not allowed to speak. We followed the rules, but it was rejected... We were not allowed to speak in Question Hour yesterday," Palaniswami said.
The AIADMK MPs have been clicked wearing black shirts in the Tamil Nadu Assembly over the past few days, and were reported to raise slogans over the hooch tragedy. On Tuesday, they were suspended for a day, but now the suspension has been extended.
