Tejashwi Yadav, the Leader of the Opposition in the Bihar Assembly, has raised concerns about the effectiveness of Bihar’s prohibition policy following a recent hooch tragedy in East Champaran district. The incident in Balganga village resulted in the deaths of at least four individuals who consumed suspected poisonous liquor, with six others losing their eyesight and many more receiving medical treatment.
Tejashwi Yadav took to social media to express his deep sorrow over the tragedy and criticized the flaws in the liquor prohibition law enforced by the NDA government. He highlighted the incident as a failure of the prohibition law, emphasizing that similar tragedies have occurred before.
Yadav cited data suggesting that over 1,300 people have died due to spurious liquor in Bihar since the prohibition was implemented in April 2016. He also alleged that the actual number of casualties could be higher, with many cases going unreported. The opposition leader accused certain factions within the government, officials, and the alleged liquor mafia of exploiting the current system for personal gain.
The remarks made by Tejashwi Yadav have reignited the political discourse surrounding Bihar’s prohibition policy, which has faced scrutiny due to multiple hooch tragedies in the state. In response to the recent incident, the police have taken strict actions, including the immediate suspension of the Station House Officer of Turkauliya Police Station for negligence.
