Nirmala Sitharaman condemns Kallakurichi Hooch tragedy, attacks Congress over its "silence"

NEW DELHI: Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday condemned the Kallakurichi Hooch tragedy in Tamil Nadu which claimed 56 lives, and attacked the Congress party stating that the latter has not uttered a word against the incident. There were a total of 216 patients admitted to four hospitals in Tamil Nadu after consuming illicit liquor, out of which, 56 have died, as per an official.

In a conversation with ANI, Sitharaman said, "More than 200 people are still in hospital in a critical stage. 56 people have died and most of them are from the scheduled caste... I condemn the incident. I am shocked that the Congress has not uttered a word against this. In a state where licensed liquor is available from shops run by the government called 'Tasmak'. Despite that, in the middle of the city of Kallakuruchi, chemical-based illicit liquor is served. Doesn't the government know about this?"

Taking a dig at the Congress party, she added, "Where is the Congress party President Mallikarjun Kharge? Has he lost sympathy for people living in Tamil Nadu? Where is Rahul Gandhi? He talks about the votes of the South. He contests elections just because he is assured that he will win. When Dalits are dying because of spurious liquor, not a statement comes from Rahul Gandhi or Khargeji. I demand that this whole matter be given to the CBI for investigation." "Congress should pay attention to Tamil Nadu and not ignore it just because its alliance partner is running the state", she said.

The Congress and the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) in Tamil Nadu are allies in the INDIA bloc and fought the Lok Sabha polls in 2024 unitedly. Earlier today, the death toll in the Tamil Nadu Hooch tragedy rose to 56, according to the district administration's report. As per the information shared by the District Collectorate, Kallakurichi, there were a total of 216 patients admitted to four hospitals in Tamil Nadu after consuming illicit liquor.

In Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (Jipmer), Puducherry, 17 patients are alive and three have been declared dead, while in Vilupuram Medical College, four people are alive and four have been declared dead. Most deaths occurred at Kallakurichi Medical College, where 31 people are dead and 108 are alive.

At Salem Medical College, 30 people are alive, whereas 18 have been reported dead.

"There are 160 people who were admitted to the above-mentioned hospitals and 55 people are dead," according to official data. 152 male patients are alive in the incident, whereas 51 are dead.