RJD national Vice-President Shivanand Tiwari has slammed Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for making Bihar and its people a laughing after four districts of the state reported liquor tragedies since Holi.

“During first and second tenure of Nitish Kumar, he turned every villager into a liquor addict and suddenly imposed a liquor ban law in the state in April 2016. Lakhs of people went to jail on the charge of sale and consumption of liquor. Even the Supreme Court has criticised the liquor ban and terme it “shortsighted,” Tiwari said.

Nitish Kumar is forcibly trying to execute de-addiction in Bihar. The entire government machinery is searching for liquor in the state. They are using drones, helicopters, motor boats, sniffer dogs etc to implement the same. I believe this would not be the right way to implement liquor ban in the state. Nitish Kumar is not addressing the core issues of youths involved in this business, Tiwari said.

“The state is facing a huge unemployment problem. They are unable to provide opportunities for youths to earn money for their livelihood. In the absence of opportunities, many youths are involved in liquor business. Why Nitish Kumar is not engaging them in sports and other constructive activities,” Tiwari said.

People are dying due to spurious liquor in the state and the administrative officials are denying it. They are declaring mass deaths due to illness. They are making a mockery of the people of Bihar where human lives have no value in the state, Tiwari said.

After 22 persons mysteriously died in Bhagalpur, 12 in Banka, 3 in Madhepura and 5 in Siwan districts since the day of Holi, a political avalanche has stormed Bihar. Even ruling leaders are challenging the decisions of chief minister Kumar.

Gopal Mandal, JD-U MLA from Gopalpur in Bhagalpur district, said: “The cops of respective police stations in the state are involved in liquor operation. If the SHO of a police station would initiate anti-liquor operations in his jurisdiction, no one would dare to sell liquor. SHOs know everything about liquor operations in their respective jurisdiction but are not taking any action against the mafias.”