The ruling DMK said that AIADMK chief and the BJP are deliberately attempting to 'politicise' the tragedy to get political mileage.
VIctims of Kallakurichi hooch tragedy being cremated (X)
The death toll in Kallakurichi hooch tragedy touched 58 on Monday, 24 June according to local reports and over 150 people are still undergoing treatment in various government hospitals.
Meanwhile, the principal Opposition party – AIADMK – staged protest in several pockets of the state seeking Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin’s resignation.
Launching a state-wide massive protest against the ruling dispensation on 24 June, AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami said that Stalin has an obligation to give an explanation for the spurious liquor tragedy in Kallakurichi that claimed over 50 lives and said “time will soon come” for the chief minister to reply.
He alleged that his party cadres were prevented from participating in the protests against the ruling DMK.
Of the people who were discharged was Sarada who wasn’t able to participate in her husband Murugan’s funeral who died after drinking spurious liquor. Sarada told PTI, “We are daily wage workers. We are never home but that day he took break from work. If not, this danger wouldn’t have come to him. He drank and left the rest in a container. When I came back from work, I thought it was water and I drank too.
Talking about not getting a chance to see her husband after his death, she said “Both of us were feeling uneasy. We went to Mamandur hospital and they sent us to Puducherry hospital. When the vehicle was going there, he died on the way. He was brought back here and I was taken. Hospital authorities said that they will not let me go until I am recovered. Yesterday night only I came back and we did my rituals today only. I didn’t see him. I last saw him while we went to Mamandur hospital.”
Some of them are questioning themselves as the impact of methanol is continuing in their body even after being discharged from the hospital. Perumal Murugan says “They treated well but I have severe pain in my limbs… I don’t know what I will do now, I am just a coolie and now everything looks like a question.”
The AIADMK chief and the BJP are deliberately attempting to ‘politicise’ the Kallakurichi hooch tragedy to get political mileage, said the ruling DMK.
Listing the steps taken by the state government over hooch deaths, DMK organisation secretary RS Bharathi said his party would go to people with facts of the matter and government’s stringent action and slammed the motivated propaganda of the AIADMK and BJP.
Youth Welfare Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin has already visited Kallakurichi and CM would visit soon, he said. He also hit out at EPS for ‘enacting a drama.’ The two parties – BJP and AIADMK – should have been supportive of the government’s efforts on the matter, had they been truly concerned, he added.
Pointing to the government setting up a one-man commission led by a retired judge, he expressed confidence that the truth will emerge. “Everyday new information is emerging and there are information/reports that persons belonging to the BJP and AIADMK sold illicit arrack,” he alleged.
On the demand for CBI probe, he said the Central agency did not take swift action in several cases including ‘Gutkha case,’ and seizure of ₹570 crore from containers in the run up to the 2016 Assembly election. However, the state police (CB-CID) has taken immediate action on the hooch tragedy.
“The reason for them seeking CBI probe is to cause diversion and to try to create some problem.” He also hit out at them for blaming the DMK regime and seeking Chief Minister’s resignation. He wondered if CBI probed similar cases including in BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat.
VCK president Tholppiyan Thirumavalan speaking to the PTI said, “We demand that the Union government and all the state governments should enforce a prohibition (on liquor) across the country.”
He added: “Our Constitution through Article 47 directs control on all kinds of narcotics. So the Tamil Nadu government and Union government have to come forward regarding this.”
VIDEO | Kallakurichi Hooch tragedy: “We demand that the Union government and all the state governments should enforce a prohibition (on liquor) across the country. Our Constitution through Article 47 directs control on all kinds of narcotics,” says VCK president Tholkappiyan… pic.twitter.com/NiiQ3iSIBM
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) June 24, 2024
(Edited by Neena)
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