UP hooch tragedy: 143 people died in two years, Congress demands Yogi’s resignation

Ever since the saffron clad, Ajay Mohan Bisht aka Yogi Adityanath became the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, as many as 143 people have died after consuming spurious liquor, suggests an independent estimate.

Congress leader Ajay Kumar Lallu who recently led a fact-finding team to Barabanki district where 23 people died after consuming illicit liquor in the last week of May, has supported the claim.

He blamed Yogi government for providing protection to liquor mafia in the state.

“CM Yogi should take the moral responsibility and resign from his post,” said Lallu, adding “liquor mafia has flourished in Yogi raj.”

“In some cases, it was found that spurious liquor was transported from Haryana, another BJP ruled state under police protection,” added Lallu.

Although, main accused of the Barabanki hooch tragedy, Pappu Jaiswal had been arrested by the police after a brief encounter with UP police, Congress demanded white paper on hooch tragedy.

Lallu told NH, “Business of illicit liquor flourished in Uttar Pradesh over two years under the patronage of the Yogi government. I raised the issue in the last session of the assembly, but Yogi government did not pay any heed. Therefore, we demand white paper on the issue. In the next assembly session, Congress along with other opposition parties will raise the issue aggressively.”

Lallu demanded that affected families should be given at least ₹20 lakhs as compensation by the government.

In most cases, as per media reports, Yogi government gave merely ₹2 lakhs as compensation to the affected families.

In recent times, Barabanki hooch tragedy is the second such incident in which over two dozen people died after consuming spurious liquor and state government did nothing except lip service.

In February 2019 more than 80 people have died in Saharanpur district after consuming spurious liquor, following which Yogi government has formed SIT.

But, according to the Congress leader, SIT was just an eyewash. “In reality, Yogi government is helping liquor mafia. CM Yogi should take the moral responsibility and resign from his post,” reiterated Congress leader Lallu.