Congress MPs protest against hooch tragedy in Gujarat

New Delhi, July 13 (ANI): Congress Party MPs today staged a protest against hooch tragedy in Gujarat that killed at least 130 people due to consumption of spurious liquor.

Congress has alleged that a BJP Corporator of Mahemdabad Municipality was behind the hooch tragedy.

The protestors led by Congress spokesperson, Rajiv Shukla, demanded the resignation of Chief Minister Narendra Modi.

"What kind of liquor prohibition policy is in Gujarat? It means the liquor mafias are on a rise in Gujarat. Liquor mafias can't rise without protection from the state government. Hundreds of people have died because the state government is protecting liquor mafias. We demand such a government should be ousted in Gujarat," said Shukla, spokesperson of the Congress party.

On the other hand, Murli Manohar Joshi, senior leader of India's main opposition Bhartiya Janata Party termed the resignation demands as a political gimmick.

"We remember that in Gujarat how many riots and killings have taken under Congress ruling. There is no point in recalling those episodes. This is political drama. I don't think that there is a need for Gujarat government to resign or it is a case where a government needs to be ousted," said Murli Manohar Joshi, senior leader of India's main opposition Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP).

Meanwhile, India's lower house Lok Sabha, witnessed stormy scenes when a congress parliamentarian from Gujarat raised the question of Gujarat tragedy.

Initially, instances of the fatalities due to spurious liquor were reported on Monday (July 06) and by Thursday (July 10) the number of the dead had risen to 130.

Illicit liquor, also known as grog or hooch, is a flourishing beverage in India, particularly in states like Gujarat where prohibition is in force.

The illicit liquor is much cheaper as compared to the licensed drinks, which cannot be afforded by most of the people from the poorer sections of society.

In May 2008, at least 180 people had died in Southern Karnataka and Tamil Nadu states due to drinking spurious liquor, considered as one of India's worst bootlegging tragedies. (ANI)