Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday condemned the Kallakurichi Hooch tragedy in Tamil Nadu which claimed 56 lives, and attacked the Congress party stating that the latter has not uttered a word against the incident. There were a total of 216 patients admitted to four hospitals in Tamil Nadu after consuming illicit liquor, out of which, 56 have died, as per an official.
Nirmala Sitharaman said, “More than 200 people are still in hospital in a critical stage. 56 people have died and most of them are from the scheduled caste… I condemn the incident. I am shocked that the Congress has not uttered a word against this. In a state where licensed liquor is available from shops run by the government called ‘Tasmak’. Despite that, in the middle of the city of Kallakuruchi, chemical-based illicit liquor is served. Doesn’t the government know about this?”
Taking a dig at the Congress party, she added, “Where is the Congress party President Mallikarjun Kharge? Has he lost sympathy for people living in Tamil Nadu? Where is Rahul Gandhi? He talks about the votes of the South. He contests elections just because he is assured that he will win. When Dalits are dying because of spurious liquor, not a statement comes from Rahul Gandhi or Khargeji. I demand that this whole matter be given to the CBI for investigation.” “Congress should pay attention to Tamil Nadu and not ignore it just because its alliance partner is running the state”, she said.
The Congress and the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) in Tamil Nadu are allies in the INDIA bloc and fought the Lok Sabha polls in 2024 unitedly.