TN hooch death toll rises to 22, Oppn slams DMK govt

CHENNAI: With the death toll in the spurious liquor tragedy touching 22, and around 55 people hospitalised in Tamil Nadu, the opposition parties have trained their guns on the DMK government.

A group of more than 50 people had consumed illicit brew at Ekkiyarkuppam fishing hamlet in Marakkan, Villupuram district of Tamil Nadu on Saturday. Many of them later complained of nausea, vomiting and itching in body parts and failing eye sight. By Saturday night, six people lost their lives.

Meanwhile, 50 km away from Marakkanam at Maduranthakam in Chengalpattu district also many people after drinking locally procured brew complained of breathlessness, vomiting and nausea. By Saturday night and Sunday, nearly six people lost their lives in Madhuranthakam also.

Till Wednesday morning, 22 people have lost their lives in one of the gravest hooch tragedies of Tamil Nadu. Around 55 people from both Marakkanam and Maruthanthakam are in hospitals and many have complained of impaired vision.

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has already issued a notice to the Tamil Nadu government on the hooch tragedy.

The opposition has come out strongly against the government with the leader of opposition, Edappadi K. Palaniswami (EPS), demanding the resignation of Chief Minister M.K. Stalin and State Excise and Prohibition Minister, Senthil Balaji for the hooch deaths.

The BJP has also called upon the Chief Minister to take stringent action against those who were involved in supplying industrial alcohol for making diluted alcohol.

The opposition parties are planning to launch a major campaign across Tamil Nadu against the illicit liquor and alleged involvement of local DMK leaders in procuring and distributing illicit liquor which led to the death of 22 people.