BJP hits out at INDIA bloc over Tamil Nadu hooch tragedy, seeks CBI probe

New Delhi: The BJP on Sunday attacked the INDIA bloc over the hooch tragedy in Tamil Nadu, with Union minister Nirmala Sitharaman demanding that the Congress break its silence on the issue and “pull up” its ally DMK for the loss of lives in the incident.

The BJP also said it hopes the Opposition alliance leaders who have not spoken on the issue will at least show repentance by gathering near the Mahatma Gandhi statue in the Parliament complex and observing a moment of silence for the victims.

Union Finance minister Sitharaman also demanded that the case be handed over to the CBI for investigation.

“You have no statement coming from Congress president (Mallikarjun Kharge) or the former Congress president (Rahul Gandhi), who rushes to the South seeking people’s vote to win elections,” she charged.

The ruling DMK in Tamil Nadu has had a hand in supporting those selling spurious liquor in the state, Sitharaman alleged.

“The incident cannot be fully inquired into if the state government is dealing with the probe. And therefore I demand that this inquiry should be given to the CBI and immediate action should be taken to arrest those behind this,” she said.

“I don’t think justice will be served if inquiry and the whole matter is left only to the Tamil Nadu government,” she added.

Sitharaman said the Tamil Nadu government has shown “total incompetence” in handling the issue. The state government has not even allowed a discussion in Assembly in this matter, she added.

Addressing a press conference at the BJP headquarters here, party’s national spokesperson Sambit Patra also slammed Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin and asked him to clarify if he was “complicit” in the incident .

“More than 56 people have died... many are still critical. More than 40 of those who died consuming spurious liquor are Dalits. This is state-sponsored murder, and I am surprised that the Congress’ Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Sonia Gandhi, leaders of the DMK and those of other constituents of the ‘INDI Alliance’ are silent on it,” Patra said.