Political Firestorm Erupts Over Bihar Spurious Liquor Tragedy

Bihar CM Nitish Kumar reviews deaths from poisonous liquor in Siwan, Saran. Opposition RJD blames the government for alleged policy failures. Tejaswi Yadav critiques leadership, says liquor ban ineffective. BJP promises action. Controversy intensifies amid political disputes.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar conducted a high-profile review on Thursday following a series of deaths attributed to spurious liquor in the districts of Siwan and Saran. The Chief Minister instructed the Secretary of the Prohibition, Excise, and Registration Department to visit the sites, collect comprehensive data, and initiate a thorough investigation, according to a statement from his office.

The situation has quickly escalated into a political controversy, with the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) targeting the Nitish Kumar administration. Former Deputy Chief Minister Tejaswi Yadav accused the CM and his aides of being at the forefront of what he described as 'immoral and unprincipled politics'. Yadav alleged on social media platform X that 27 people have died due to the negligence of authorities concerning the liquor ban, asserting that illicit alcohol is readily available due to collusion between government officials and the mafia.

Further criticism came from Yadav, who lamented the CM's lack of public empathy and questioned the leadership's capability in addressing the crisis, calling for accountability within the government ranks. In response, BJP leader Nitin Nabin stated that punitive measures would be enforced against those responsible for the tragedy, underlining that the Chief Minister is actively pursuing remedies to the crisis as part of the state's liquor prohibition efforts.

(With inputs from agencies.)