'Those who drink alcohol will die,' says Nitish Kumar on Bihar hooch tragedy

Bihar Hooch Tragedy: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Thursday said that "those who drink alcohol will die". The comment comes a day after at least 38 people died in different villages in Chhapra district after allegedly drinking spurious liquor.

Addressing the media on Chhapra hooch tragedy, Nitish Kumar said, "Logo ko sachet rehna chahiye, jo sharab piyega wo marega [Those who drink liquor will die. People should be careful]," India Today reported.

The Janata Dal (United) chief also said, "Last time, when people died due to spurious liquor, someone said they should be compensated. If someone consumes liquor, they'll die. An example is before us."

It is to be noted that the sale and consumption of liquor is prohibited in Bihar since 2016. The ban on liquor has opened the gates for the illicit sale of spurious liquor, which has caused scores of deaths. Bihar and Prime Minister Narendra Modi's home state Gujarat are the two big states where such prohibition is in place.

On Wednesday, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the principal opposition party in the state, targeted chief minister Nitish Kumar in the assembly. BJP MLAs blamed the alleged 'nexus' between police and illicit liquor traders for the deaths in Chhapra.

Meanwhile, Nitish Kumar lost his cool and fumed in the assembly. “Kya ho gaya, jehrili sharab, halla kar rahe ho tum log,” said Nitish Kumar inside the assembly. The JDU leader was also seen gesturing to BJP MLAs to be quiet.

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