Kallakurichi hooch tragedy: Death toll rises to 57; ‘BJP politicising issue’, says DMK

The death toll in the Kallakurichi hooch tragedy in Tamil Nadu has gone up to 57, the district administration said on Monday (June 24).

According to reports, 156 people who fell ill after consuming spurious liquor are undergoing treatment at various medical facilities run by the Tamil Nadu government.

156 people under treatment

Patients have been admitted to Kallakurichi Government Medical College Hospital, Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (Jipmer), Pondicherry, and Salem Medical College among others.

Kallakurichi Medical College reported the most deaths – 31.

Currently 110 people are being treated at the Kallakurichi Government Medical College Hospital while 12 have been admitted to Jipmer, Puducherry. Twenty of the patients are being treated in Salem and four in Viluppuram government hospitals, government sources said.

Kallakurichi District Magistrate said seven people including two women have been discharged so far.

DMK’s rebuttal to BJP’s accusations

While the BJP has accused the state government of being “complicit” in the tragedy, DMK leader TKS Elangovan on Monday told the media that the Opposition was trying to “politicise” the issue.

“They (opposition) are trying to politicise this. They want to take advantage in the Vikravandi (Tamil Nadu Assembly constituency) by-election that's why they are shouting like this. This government is taking many steps. The chief minister had made a statement in the assembly. He has given a statement about what steps the government has taken in this regard and how many people were suspended and transferred. They have appointed a commission to inquire into these things, but the other party wants to take advantage of this situation. They are politicising it," Elangovan said.

Govt to take care of children orphaned by tragedy

Besides announcing compensation for the families of the deceased persons, Chief Minister MK Stalin has said that the state government will finance the education and hostel expenses of children who have lost either one or both their parents in the tragedy.

Chief Minister Stalin on Friday said that a monthly assistance of ₹5,000 will be provided to children who have lost both their parents till they attain the age of 18. In addition to this, ₹5 lakh will be deposited immediately as a fixed deposit for such children. An amount of ₹3 lakh will be deposited for children who have lost one parent, the chief minister said. The children can withdraw the money with interest when they turn 18 years.

BJP attacks TN government

The BJP on Sunday attacked the INDIA bloc on the hooch tragedy, saying it hopes the alliance leaders who have not spoken on the issue will at least show repentance by gathering near the Mahatma Gandhi statue in the Parliament complex in New Delhi and observing a moment of silence for the lives lost.

Addressing a press conference at the BJP headquarters in Delhi, the party's national spokesperson Sambit Patra also slammed Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Stalin and asked him to clarify if he was "complicit" in the incident which took place in the state's Kallakurichi district.

"More than 56 people have died... many are still critical. More than 40 of those who died consuming spurious liquor are Dalits. This is state-sponsored murder and I am surprised that the Congress' Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Sonia Gandhi, leaders of the DMK and those of other constituents of the 'INDI Alliance' are silent on it," Patra said.

It seems they are silent on this issue as it does not serve their politics, the BJP leader charged.

"When the Parliament session starts tomorrow, I hope INDI Alliance leaders will go to Mahatma Gandhi's statue to observe silence, wearing black bands on their arms, and repent for the death of people in the hooch tragedy," Patra said.

"Mahatma Gandhi was against illicit liquor. Gandhiji's statue is waiting for you, his principles are waiting for you," he added.

Hitting out at Chief Minister Stalin, Patra accused his government and leaders of the DMK of being complicit in the hooch tragedy.

TN govt complicit in tragedy, alleges BJP

"In his first statement, the district collector had initially denied that people died after consuming spurious liquor. He was asked to do so because the Assembly session was scheduled to start the very next day," the BJP leader alleged, and cited some media reports.

Due to the district collector's denial, those who had stock of the spurious liquor continued consuming it and more than a dozen people died the next day, he added.

"Of course, the (Tamil Nadu) government is complicit in this. Look at the behaviour of the chief minister. I am astonished that a tragedy of such a magnitude has struck the state yet the chief minister is absent. Till the time I came to hold this press conference, he had not visited the bereaved family members of those who died," Patra said.

"Shouldn't the chief minister come out with a statement," the BJP leader asked.