'Blood on Nitish's hand': BJP slams Bihar CM for 'victim shaming' amid hooch tragedy

After the Bihar Chief Minister's 'no compensation to families of those killed by spurious liquor' reiteration, the Bharatiya Janta Party claimed that 'blood is on Nitish's hand'. Pointing out the 'worst', BJP's Amit Malviya further claimed that instead of Nitish Kumar admitting that his prohibition policy is a 'colossal failure', which has 'encouraged bootlegging' and 'deepened the corrupt nexus between police and politicians', he was indulging in 'abusing and victim shaming'.

'No compensation will be given...'

BJP lawmakers in Bihar, led by Leader of the Opposition Vijay Sinha, marched Friday to governor Phagu Chauhan's residence to protest the hooch tragedy in the state, including in Saran and Chhapra districts, that news agency ANI reported has claimed at least 50 lives. 

This was after BJP lawmakers witnessed Nitish Kumar explode for the second time this week over their demands that the government pays compensation to the hooch victims as the deaths were a direct consequence of six years of "failed prohibition". "No compensation will be given to people who died after drinking...We have been appealing- if you drink, you will die...those who talk in favour of drinking will not bring any good to you...", said CM Nitish Kumar, addressing the assembly earlier in the day.

The toll of the dead in Bihar's Chhapra Hooch tragedy has soared to 50, with 11 more people succumbing after consuming spurious liquor in the Saran district. Masrakh Station House Officer (SHO) Ritesh Mishra and Constable Vikesh Tiwari were suspended immediately after the Tuesday night tragedy on the recommendation of Marhaura Sub-Divisional Police Officer, Yogendra Kumar.

Most deaths have occurred on Wednesday and Thursday creating an uproar both at the state and national level as sale and consumption of alcohol have been banned in Bihar by the Nitish Kumar government since April 2016.