Bihar hooch deaths: BJP delegation visits Chapra, blames CM

Patna (Bihar) [India], December 15 : Sharing an update on patients admitted after consuming spurious liquor, Dr Sanjay Kumar from the Primary Health Centre on Thursday said, "A total of 47 people were admitted here. Of them, some with minor symptoms were treated and discharged. Many had effects on vision due to toxins. Treatment is underway and, if required, we will refer them to the Sadar hospital."
Meanwhile, a BJP delegation on Friday reached Chhapra to meet the families affected by the hooch deaths.
"The Bihar CM is fully responsible (for the hooch deaths) and must resign. Adequate compensation must be given to the affected families. By cremating bodies without doing a post-mortem, they (government) wanted to show fewer deaths. We've come here to unearth the truth," BJP leader and the Leader of Opposition in the Bihar Assembly, Samrat Chaudhary told ANI.
Terming the Bihar hooch deaths 'shameful', Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai on Thursday demanded an apology from Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.
The Union Minister claimed that the administration tried to hide the number of deaths.
"Over 40 people died. Initially, the administration tried to hide the number of deaths and pass it off as the fallout of some disease. When people voiced their outrage and BJP workers charged the government, they owned up to the hooch tragedy. It is shameful. Nitish Kumar should apologise to the people of Bihar," said Rai.
Several BJP MLAs also staged a demonstration the state Assembly on Thursday over the hooch deaths.
CM Nitish Kumar on Thursday entered the Assembly past a gathering of BJP MLAs protesting the Chapra hooch deaths.
The protesters held banners and raised slogans against the government.
Meanwhile, the death toll in the Chhapra due to the consumption of spurious liquor soared to 39 on Thursday.
The sale and consumption of alcohol in Bihar were banned by the Nitish Kumar government in April 2016.