In a letter to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, BJP chief JP Nadda questioned the “stoic silence” of his party on the recent hooch tragedy in Tamil Nadu, which has left 56 people dead and 159 hospitalized. Nadda labeled the tragedy as a “man-made disaster” and blamed the deep nexus between the ruling DMK and illicit liquor mafia for the tragedy. He expressed shock that the Congress party, led by Kharge, has maintained silence on the issue, particularly given the involvement of Scheduled Castes in the tragedy.
Nadda urged Kharge to press the Tamil Nadu government for a CBI probe into the incident and demanded the immediate removal of State Prohibition and Excise Minister S Muthusamy from his post. He also called for the enhancement of compensation to the victims’ families to a “reasonable level.” The BJP chief accused the Congress party of hypocrisy, citing Rahul Gandhi’s previous statements on the welfare and rights of Scheduled Castes and Other Backward Classes (SC/OBC) communities. Nadda said that Rahul Gandhi’s “sanctimonious preachings” have stopped and that he is now maintaining a “deafening selective, hypocritical silence” on the issue.
BJP Chief JP Nadda (Via BJP Chief JP Nadda/Twitter)
Nadda also urged Kharge to encourage Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra to pay a visit to the victims’ families or at least raise their voice on the issue. He further underlined the prevalence of illegal liquor business and “sharab ghotala” (liquor scam) amongst various constituents of the Opposition’s India bloc, saying that such “proclivities” damage the nation and society.
The BJP chief’s letter is seen as an attempt to embarrass the Congress party and capitalize on the tragedy to gain political mileage. The incident has sparked widespread outrage and demands for justice. The opposition parties have been critical of the state government’s handling of the situation, and Nadda’s letter is part of the political sparring that has ensued.
