Chief minister alleges conspiracy as opposition stages protest

LUCKNOW: Members of the Samajwadi Party (SP), Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and Congress staged a walkout in the legislative assembly on Monday to protest hooch tragedy deaths in Kushinagar and Saharanpur districts.

The opposition leaders blamed the state government for the deaths and said that no action was taken against people involved in earlier hooch tragedies in Azamgarh, Barabanki, Ghaziabad, Kanpur and Shamli.

They also demanded the resignation of excise minister Jai Pratap Singh.

Hitting out at the opposition, chief minister Yogi Adityanath alleged that Samajwadi Party leaders and workers were involved in illicit liquor racket across the state.

“In July 2017, the police had arrested Mulayam Yadav and Gonita Yadav, the mastermind of Azamgarh hooch tragedy. Both were members of the SP. The main accused of Hardoi hooch tragedy is also an SP leader. Conspiracy of SP leaders had also come to light in Kanpur and Barabanki hooch tragedies,” Yogi said, adding that the

opposition parties were hatching a conspiracy to malign his government’s image.

The CM said at least 357 people had died in the hooch tragedies in various districts during the BSP-SP regimes. “No action was taken against culprits,” he said.

Yogi said the state government had constituted an SIT probe into the hooch tragedy.

“People involved in illicit liquor racket will be identified and strict action will be taken against them. A plan will be prepared to check such incidents in future,” Yogi said, adding that he had also talked to the Uttarakhand chief minister for coordinated action against illicit liquor.

Earlier, SP MLA Sanjay Garg said that at least 88 people had died in Saharanpur district. “Instead of taking action against the culprits, the government has imposed cow cess on liquor,” he added.

Leader of BSP legislature party Lalji Verma said a CBI probe, under the supervision of a high court judge, should be ordered in the hooch tragedy and action should be taken against the DMs and SPs of both the districts.

Leader of Congress legislature party Ajay Kumar Lallu said his party had shot off a letter to the CM drawing his attention towards illicit liquor trade, but no action was taken.

Parliamentary affairs minister Suresh Khanna said an FIR under section 60-A of the Excise Act would be lodged against the accused so that they get capital punishment.

›

People involved in illicit liquor racket will be identified and strict action will be taken against them. A plan will be prepared to check such incidents in future YOGI ADITYANATH, chief minister