There's a nexus between Tamil Nadu govt, liquor mafia, says BJP amid spurious liquor tragedy

The NDA delegation comprising BJP leaders Anil Antony, Arvind Menon, and MP GK Vasan today met with the National Commission for Scheduled Castes Chairman, Kishore Makwana, to submit a memorandum regarding the Kallakurichi (Tamil Nadu) illicit liquor tragedy.

Speaking to ANI, BJP leader Anil Antony said, "Today we met Kishor Makwana, Chairperson of the National Commission for Scheduled Castes and we gave a representation to him. We were requesting him to act on the issues in Tamil Nadu that have led to the death of almost 66 people and the hospitalization of over 150 people. Most of the victims in Tamil Nadu in the current tragedy, which is because of the consumption of spurious alcohol, most of them are from the SC community, the Dalit community. Most of them are daily wages. And these are recurring issues that are happening in the state of Tamil Nadu".

"This is happening because of an unholy nexus between the Tamil Nadu government and a liquor mafia which is very, very strong in the state of Tamil Nadu. Even after this incident, despite a lot of pressure, the state government is trying to protect the perpetrators...We have been assured that adequate steps will be taken," he added.

Meanwhile, National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) Chairman Kishor Makwana, on Wednesday, met the families of hooch tragedy victims in the Karunapuram area and criticised the Tamil Nadu government for not taking action against the manufacture and sale of illicit liquor in the state.

The death toll in the hooch tragedy in Tamil Nadu's Kallakurichi district reached 63 on Thursday morning, according to the District Collectorate.

Currently, 78 people are undergoing treatment in total across hospitals in the state, out of which 48 are admitted to the Government Kallakurichi Medical College and Hospital and 66 have been discharged in total from the Government Kallakurichi Medical College, as per the hospital authorities.

At Puducherry, 09 people, in Salem District 18 people, in Royapetta Hospital Chennai one person and Villupuram District 02 people are undergoing treatment at the Government Hospitals.

A total of 88 people have been discharged in the state of Tamil Nadu.

On Wednesday, a three-member delegation of the National Commission for Women, led by Khushbu Sundar, visited the families of victims who lost their lives by consuming illicit liquor in Tamil Nadu's Kallakurichi district.The NCW had earlier taken suo moto cognizance of a media report on the deaths of people in the incident and constituted a three-member inquiry committee, led by NCW Member Khushbu Sundar, to look into the matter. (ANI)