The BJP on Wednesday said the incident has exposed the reality of prohibition in the state.
The BJP on Wednesday said the incident has exposed the reality of prohibition in the state.
With authorities claiming that the reason behind the death of more than a dozen people in Gopalgunj is not clear, the BJP also demanded that the chief minister should clarify on the issue.
Attacking the Bihar CM over his “Tuglaqi” diktat, where members of a household or an entire village could be imprisonment and fined if the prohibition law is violated, BJP’s Shahnawaz Hussain said his party, however, supported the prohibition law. He also accused the state government of working to cover up the reason for the deaths.
Taking a dig at Mr Kumar over his prohibition pitch in various parts of the country, Mr Hussain said people of Bihar had elected him with a lot of hope and believed his many promises, but he “discusses nothing but prohibition”.
“Prohibition can be effective only when there is a rule of law. His (Mr Kumar’s) responsibility does not end with merely enacting a law. He has failed in stopping trade of illicit liquor from across the state’s borders. The Bihar government is busy in covering these deaths. It is not about formulating policy, but having a clean conscience as well,” said the BJP national spokesperson.
Criticising Mr Kumar for the law that entails imprisonment and fine for members of a household or an entire village if prohibition law is violated, Mr Hussain said BJP is not in support of such “Tuglaqi” (dictatorial) edicts.
When asked if the BJP supported prohibition across the country, he said it was a state-specific issue and the party was evaluating experiences in different states.
“What happened in Bihar is also an experience,” he said, referring to the deaths.
