As the death toll in hooch tragedy reached 42 Thursday, Gujarat Congress president Jagdish Thakor attacked the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government for its alleged failure in implementing the Prohibition Act and accused them of providing liquor and drugs to youth of the state instead of employment.
In a press conference held at Rajiv Gandhi Bhawan in Paldi of Ahmedabad, Thakor said, “The hooch tragedy has maligned the image of Gujarat. We have seen how the sarpanch of Rojid village had complained to the police in the past regarding illicit sale of liquor in his village yet no action was taken. The BJP and police are running a partnership with the bootleggers in Gujarat. The BJP has panna pramukh in every village and they are aware of who sells country made liquor and who sells Indian Made Foreign Liquor. All this is happening under the patronage of those sitting in power.”
Congress also launched an attack against Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his one-day visit to Sabarkantha to lay foundation stones of various projects of Sabar Diary.
“As Prime Minister Modi is in Gujarat, I would like to state that you are spending Rs 30 crore for a one-hour program. The Sabar Dairy project has been running for the past some time yet you have come to re-inaugurate it ahead of elections. Instead of spending Rs 30 crore of taxpayers’ money, you could have called the families of hooch tragedy victims and given them financial assistance.”
Thakor accused the ruling BJP government of neglecting the issue of unemployment among the youth.
“The attitude of the state government is that if the youth express their concern for unemployment, they say don’t take tension, here, take some drugs and booze. Ports of Gujarat have become an entry point of drugs in India,” said Thakor.
Vadgam MLA and Gujarat Congress working president Jignesh Mevani said, “PM Modi always says that he is willing to help his sisters even at midnight. Today the widow sisters of Barwala, Dhandhuka and Botad are remembering you for the past 72 hours but you have not spoken to them. Why has the home minister Harsh Sanghavi met the victim families even once?”