Patna: Bihar Opposition leader Tejashwi Yadav on Tuesday demanded chief minister Nitish Kumar come clean on a selfie with a person accused in the Gopalganj hooch tragedy that led to the deaths of 16 people.
Nitish had invited, from the Arrah district, a family that had turned down an offer of dowry and returned Rs 4,00,000 to the family of the bride. After the CM felicitated the family, it emerged that one of the members was Rakesh Singh, accused in a 2016 incident wherein 16 people lost their lives, allegedly after they consumed inferior-quality liquor. The incident occurred barely three months after a total ban on liquor had come into force.
RJD leader Tejashwi, who was Nitish's deputy in the Mahagathbandhan government which enacted the prohibition law, alleged that leaders of the ruling Janata Dal (United) were involved in the illicit trade of liquor, and the incumbent NDA government were protecting them.
"A JD(U) leader from Nalanda was arrested for his involvement in liquor smuggling, and when the then Principal Secretary K.K Pathak tightened the noose around him, the government issued his transfer orders. Now, the chief minister is clearly seen with another accused Rakesh Singh who was associated with JD(U). Nitish Kumar must clarify on this," he demanded.
Referring to the recent deaths of four people in Rohtas, after they consumed spurious liquor, Tejashwi said that the prohibition law had completely failed, and the government should fix responsibility for such tragedies.
He attacked Nitish for focusing on social evils like dowry and child marriage that are already punishable crimes under the law. "Nitish is repackaging old schemes and compares himself with Gandhi Ji. He has forgotten governance and never discusses Saat Nishcay (seven commitment program), devised for the development of rural areas," he alleged.
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