RJD takes a dig at Nitish Kumar, says no guarantee hooch tragedy won't happen again

Patna: The RJD on Sunday took a dig at the Nitish Kumar government for banning liquor in state and said there was no guarantee that the prohibition would prevent hooch tragedies such as the one that claimed four lives in Rohtas yesterday.

In a press release, the party's national vice president Shivanand Tiwary said absolute prohibition on liquor was an extreme step taken by the government and the law smacked of autocracy.

"The hooch tragedy in Rohtas won't be the last such incident? You cannot make the entire society 'Mahatma' by force," Tiwary said.

The state government, which had once encouraged liquor shops in every street, was now trying to improve its image with this prohibition, the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader said.

"The government is trying to enforce the law by force. It should launch practical schemes and programmes to support its (liquor) prohibition campaign," he said.

People involved in illicit liquor trade are making a mockery of the prohibition law, Tiwary said.

"The state government needs to rethink its decision by taking everyone on board to discuss the issue (ban on liquor),"he added.

Four people died after consuming spurious liquor in Danwar village of Rohtas district on Friday night.

The state government had imposed a complete ban on sale, manufacture and consumption of alcohol in April last year.