Congress Accuses The Ruling BJP of Running An Illegal Liquor Syndicate

GUWAHATI: The Opposition Congress on Monday accused the present regime in Dispur of backing a syndicate of illegal and spurious liquor that resulted in the hooch tragedy in Upper Assam.

AICC general secretary in charge of Assam Harish Rawat while addressing a press conference at Rajiv Bhawan here on Monday afternoon, said had the State Government took steps to launch a crack down on rampant sale and production of illegal liquor, the hooch tragedy in Upper Assam could have been averted. He said it is quite unfortunate that even after loss of so many lives due to the hooch tragedy Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal has not yet owned the moral responsibility and sacked his excise minister.

“Many spurious liquor victims currently undergoing treatment are not receiving proper treatment at hospitals in Upper Assam. The government has been dealing the incident in a very casual and insensitive manner. There are reasons enough to doubt that the present government does not have the political will to uproot the syndicate of illegal liquor. Rather the government seems to have backed such syndicate,” Rawat said.

Demanding immediate sacking of the State excise minister, Rawat demanded the government to enhance the compensation amount for the families of those died after consuming spurious liquor from the existing Rs 2 lakh to Rs 5 lakh. He said the government must also increase the amount for treatment of the spurious liquor victims.

Asserting that the Tuesday’s Rahul Gandhi rally will see massive turnout of people, Rawat said the Congress will keep its option to forge an alliance with the anti-BJP and anti-Narendra Modi forces for the ensuing Lok Sabha elections.

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