'State-Sponsored Murder': BJP Slams DMK over Kallakurichi Hooch Tragedy; Toll Rises to 56

New Delhi: Speaking on the Kallakurichi Hooch tragedy, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) launched a scathing attack on Chief Minister MK Stalin-led DMK (Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam) saying that it was "not a tragedy but a state-sponsored murder."

Addressing the media, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said, "Today we are here to discuss news from Tamil Nadu, it is about a hooch tragedy, illicit liquor from Kallakurchi, a district of Tamil Nadu...When I came to hold this press conference and was checking the figures, the number of dead was 56. More than 56 people have died and many of them are critical, still about 200 people are admitted to the hospital."

Further tightening grip over Congress and DMK, Sambit questioned why all the INDI leaders are silent. He said, "This is such an important issue and I am surprised that Mallikarjun Kharge, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi, DMK and all the people of the INDIA alliance are silent on this issue."

"If more than 32 Dalits are killed in this country, I would call it a murder, this is not death..." he added.

Toll Rises to 56

This comes as the toll in the Kallakurichi Hooch tragedy rose to 56 on Sunday afternoon as per the district's administration report quoted by ANI.

According to the District Collectorate, 216 patients were admitted to four hospitals across Tamil Nadu after consuming the illicit liquor.
In Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (Jipmer), Pondy, where 17 patients are alive, three have died. Meanwhile, in Vilupuram Medical College, while four people are alive,  four have been declared dead.

Furthermore, most deaths occurred at Kallakurichi Medical College, where 31 people are dead and 108 are alive and under treatment.

At Salem Medical College, 18 have been reported dead.

"There are 160 people who were admitted to the above-mentioned hospitals and 55 people are dead," the official report reads.

In the illicit liquor tragedy, 51 males died.

This comes as the Tamil Nadu government handed over the probe to CB-CID (Crime Branch CID). Assuring all measures being taken, CM Stalin said , "Kallakurichi District Collector has been transferred. Kallakurichi SP has been suspended. Other concerned Police officials were also suspended. The case has been transferred to CBCID. We are taking all required measures effectively to curb drug menace which affects future generation the worst."

The Stalin-led government has announced an ex-gratia payment of Rs 10 lakh to the kin of each of the deceased victims, and Rs 50,000 each for the persons under treatment.

BJP Seeks CBI Probe in Hooch Tragedy

This isn't the first time, the BJP urged for a though investigation. Earlier, a war of words erupted between political leaders with AIADMK demanding CM Stalin's resignation and the BJP accusing the DMK of being involved in the tragic incident.

The Tamil Nadu BJP has sought a CBI probe into the deaths. President Annamalai on Thursday wrote a letter to Union Home Minister Amit Shah requesting a 'CBI enquiry' into the deaths caused by illicit liquor in Kallakurichi. He accused the ruling DMK government of being involved in the illicit liquor death incident, Annamalai alleged collusion between DMK members and local liquor sellers.

"We want to inform your good office that a similar incident that occurred in May 2023 in Marakkanam of Tamil Nadu's Villupuram district and Chengalpattu district claimed 23 precious lives. In the past two years, Tamil Nadu has lost over 60 lives to hooch because of the ineffective governance of the DMK government," he had said in the letter to the Union Home Minister.