PATNA: Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar on Friday told the Assembly that he does not have any sympathy for the people who died after consuming liquor.
The comments come in the wake of 61 people of Saran district losing their lives in the last three days after consuming liquor.
“I do not regret for these deaths. I have no sympathy for them,” Mr Kumar said in reply to the opposition demand for compensation as the deaths took place because of the inability of the government to enforce prohibition. People are aware of the ban on liquor but still defy the law, he said.
In one village 12 people died, with seven of the deceased being from one family, pointed out leader of opposition Vijay Kumar Sinha, of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), who had led a delegation of 30 legislators to Mashrakh in Saran district on Thursday.
Liquor is being sold in villages and people were informed on their mobile sets about the availability of a fresh consignment of liquor, Mr Sinha said. The police is engaged in the illicit liquor trade, he alleged.
Later, a delegation of BJP legislators marched from the legislature complex to Raj Bhawan and submitted a memorandum to the Governor demanding a judicial probe into the liquor deaths.
Illicit liquor deaths are now also being reported from neighbouring Siwan district. Five people of the district who had consumed liquor on Wednesday died today.
In Teghra Village of Begusarai district, Ghanshyam and Shivam died after consuming liquor on Wednesday night. One person is undergoing treatment in hospital.
The National Human Rights Commission today served notices to the chief secretary and director general of police seeking a report on the Saran liquor tragedy within a month.