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AICC Secretary Kunal Choudhary on Sunday hit out at the Madhya Pradesh government over the alleged deaths due to spurious liquor in Sagar's Banda area, claiming that the actual toll was higher than the official figure and demanding accountability from the state administration.
People want action, not compensation, Choudhary said, alleging that the government failed to take timely action and questioning the accountability of the Excise Department and the concerned minister. Addressing a press conference in Bhopal, Choudhary claimed that although the government has reported 11 deaths, the actual number of fatalities is more than 18. Whether I call them deaths or something else, the government is still silent. The government should have taken immediate action, but it did not, Choudhary said. Questioning the functioning of the excise department and police, the Congress leader asked whether the administration was waiting for more people to die. This is a collective killing. The government has not made the actual number of deaths public, he alleged. Choudhary demanded that the government clarify when it first received complaints about illicit liquor and questioned who was allegedly providing protection to the illegal trade. Does the Excise Commissioner have no accountability? Does the minister have no accountability? he asked. The Congress leader also referred to alleged incidents involving illicit liquor and drug seizures in the state and accused the government machinery of failing to prevent illegal activities. He further raised the issue of deaths allegedly linked to contaminated water in Indore, cough syrup in Chhindwara and other incidents, alleging that adequate action had not been taken. People do not want just compensation. They want action, Choudhary said. The AICC Secretary also raised concerns over soybean farmers affected by heavy rainfall in Madhya Pradesh. He claimed that crops had been severely damaged in several areas and demanded immediate compensation for farmers, waiver of KCC loans and pressure on insurance companies to settle crop insurance claims. Choudhary alleged that farmers were facing severe financial distress due to crop losses and criticised the state government for its handling of the situation. Reacting to a question about an officer being transferred four times within a year, Choudhary alleged that bureaucrats in the state were working under political pressure. Officials have become slaves. IAS and IPS officers are bowing before the government, he alleged. The Congress leader demanded greater accountability from the state government over administrative decisions and the repeated transfers of officials. Earlier, CM Mohan Yadav on Sunday called for a probe into the deaths of 9 to 10 people due to the alleged consumption of spurious liquor in Sagar district, declaring that the state government will not tolerate such incidents and will take the strictest action in the matter. Speaking to reporters, CM Yadav said he has instructed the concerned minister and senior officials to visit the site immediately to inspect the situation. (ANI)
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