BJP criticizes Indian bloc’s silence on Tamil Nadu tragedy

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has launched a scathing attack on opposition bloc INDIA for its “silence” over the recent tragedy in DMK-ruled Tamil Nadu that claimed more than 50 lives. BJP MP Sambit Patra highlighted the lack of response from top Congress leaders including Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, calling their silence “quite striking”.

“If more than 32 Dalits are killed in this country, I would call it murder, it is not death,” Patra told a press briefing, pointing out that the majority of victims were from scheduled castes . He accused opposition parties of remaining silent due to political interests.

The hooch tragedy in Kallakurichi district resulted in 53 confirmed deaths, with many more hospitalized. Of the 193 admitted to various government medical facilities, 140 are currently reported as stable, according to district collector MS Prasanth. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MP Stalin confirmed that the locally brewed arrack drink was laced with toxic methanol, leading to death.

The incident highlighted an ongoing problem in India, where hundreds of people die each year from drinking cheaply produced alcohol enriched with methanol, a toxic substance that can cause serious health complications and even death. dead.

Justice B Gokuldas, a retired judge of the Madras High Court, has initiated an inquiry into the tragedy. On Friday, he visited Kallakurichi Government Medical College Hospital as part of his preliminary investigation, but refrained from commenting to journalists.

AIADMK legislators, led by Leader of Opposition Edappadi K Palaniswami, demanded an adjournment of the question hour in the Assembly to discuss the incident. Speaker M Appavu, however, spoke against the proposal but promised time for discussion for zero hours. Dissatisfied, the AIADMK members left the venue in protest.

Palaniswami dismissed the state-appointed individual commission’s probe as inadequate, renewing his call for a CBI probe. He criticized the state for its lack of essential medicines, including an antidote to methanol.

Tamil Nadu Health Minister Ma Subramanian responded to Palaniswami’s claims, mocking him for confusing the real antidote, fomepizole, with omeprazole. The ruling DMK has accused the AIADMK of politicizing the tragedy and rejected calls for a CBI probe, insisting its handling of the matter has been transparent.

The Madras High Court has ordered the Tamil Nadu government to submit a detailed report on the measures taken to curb the illicit sale of arrack. The directive came during a hearing on a public interest litigation filed by AIADMK legal secretary IS Inbadurai, with the court fixing the next hearing for June 26.