Yogi Adityanath warns 'exemplary punishment' to guilty in hooch tragedy

Lucknow, Feb 11: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath Monday warned that exemplary punishment will be given to those responsible for the deaths in the hooch tragedy, while saying "some people' were trying to vitiate the atmosphere in the state.

Replying to the debate on the motion of thanks to the governor for his address to the joint sitting of the state legislature, the CM said the government will delve into the details and find out who were playing with the lives of the poor. "Some people are trying to vitiate the atmosphere of the state.

The incident (hooch deaths) is unfortunate. Whosoever will be found guilty, he will get such a punishment that it will set an example for conspirators," he said in the state assembly. The chief minister alleged that in the past four cases of deaths due to consumption of spurious liquor, involvement of Samajwadi Party men were found.

"The accused in similar cases in Azamgarh, Hardoi, Barabanki and Kanpur were of the SP," he said. On the Ram temple issue, Yogi said, "Faith of the people should be honoured. The court should take cognisance of the people's faith."

"This dispute should not take even an hour more than 24 hours to resolve," he said. On the stray cattle issue, he said, "Earlier these cattle were sent to illegal slaughterhouses. Our government has stopped them from slaughtering so the cattle is in the fields or the roads. We are making arrangements for them and making shelter homes."

Attacking the opposition SP and Bahujan Samaj Party, the CM said, "Under previous regimes, the government of these parties had made corridor of corruption and anarchy. All hooligans, mafias and anti-social elements are their sympathisers."

Earlier in the day, alleging that laxity on the part of the government led to a large number of deaths after consumption of spurious liquor, opposition members created ruckus in the assembly and demanded that the chief minister resign.

The opposition members also trooped into the well of the house raising anti-government slogan. But they were not present during the CM's reply.

"Why have they fled the House? They know that I will make revelations, which they cannot digest as they do not have moral courage. I pray to God that such persons always remain out of the House," Yogi said.

PTI