BJP seeks ban on liquor sale in state

Shantipur: The BJP on Friday demanded West Bengal be declared a dry state and alleged that money earned from sale of spurious liquor was being passed as funds to the ruling Trinamul Congress in the state.

Since Wednesday, 12 people died and over 35 people fell sick after consuming spurious liquor at a village here in Nadia district. Most of the victims were brickfield workers.   

A BJP delegation led by party national general secretary Kailash Vijayvergiya and leader Mukul Roy on Friday met families of the deceased.

The delegation also went to the district hospital and met those who had taken ill in the incident. They assured the victims and their families of support.

Talking to reporters, Mr Roy demanded a complete ban on the sale of liquor in West Bengal.

“Various BJP-ruled states have banned sale of liquor in their respective states. What is stopping the TMC government from banning the sale of liquor in West Bengal?” Mr Roy asked.

Mr Vijayvergiya said it is sad to see the youths of Bengal and their families being destroyed due to the liquor business in the state. “Is the sale of liquor a source of money for the TMC? Is this the reason why police and the administration have allowed mushrooming of liquor shops in the state ?” he asked.

He alleged that in West Bengal two kinds of liquor shops exist. “One kind is the licensed liquor shops who pay revenue to the state government and the other is the large number of unlicensed shops which pays the TMC”.

Family members of several victims of the hooch tragedy said their repeated pleas to close the liquor shops had fallen on deaf ears and both police and the local administration did nothing to stop the illegal liquor trade.

Twelve persons died in the incident and among them one was a woman, Mr Vijayvergia said.

Reacting to the state government’s announcement of compensation of `2 lakh to the kin of each person who had died in the incident, Mr Roy said in the past seven years of TMC rule in Bengal several people had died by consuming spurious liquor and every time the state had given the same amount. “Is this amount enough for a family to survive on for their entire life?” he questioned.