Hooch Tragedy: Priyanka Gandhi Vadra demands compensation, jobs for kin of deceased

Newly appointed Congress General Secretary (Eastern UP) Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Sunday demanded compensation and government jobs for the families of those killed in the hooch tragedy in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. “Sad and stunned by the death of more than 100 people in Uttarakhand and UP due to illicit liquor. This is condemnable. It couldn't have been imagined that the trade of illicit liquor flourished at such a large scale in the two states.”

She added: “I hope that the state governments take strict action against the culprits. I express my condolences to bereaved families.”

The hooch tragedy took a political hue on Sunday, with Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath recalling the hands of Samajwadi Party in "such mischievous acts" and BSP chief Mayawati seeking a CBI probe into the matter. Adityanath, from his home turf Gorakhpur, warned of stern action against all those found involved in illicit liquor trade even if they were associated with any political party.

"In the past too, such type of mischievous acts by SP leaders had come to fore. In Azamgarh, Hardoi, Kanpur and Barabanki, SP leaders were found to be involved in past hooch tragedies. We can't deny conspiracy this time too," Yogi told reporters Saturday night.

Samajwadi Party (SP) president and former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government on Sunday over the deaths in the tragedy.

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He said, "The opposition has been notifying the government about such activities, but they did not act as some of its leaders are involved. The truth is that without the backing of the government, such businesses cannot be carried out. The BJP should accept the fact that they cannot run the state."

The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), the SP's alliance partner for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, also blamed the BJP governments in UP and Uttarakhand for the deaths.

BSP chief Mayawati in a statement said both the state governments were "callous" in their approach towards banning sale of spurious liquor and demanded a CBI probe into the tragedy. She said till the CBI probe was complete, excise ministers of both the states should be asked to step down to ensure free and fair inquiry.

Mayawati said bootleggers who are running a parallel administration right under the nose of the authorities and selling spurious liquor.

More than 90 people have died in the hooch tragedy that hit two adjoining districts in Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh with more people dying of the spurious liquor they drank at a Haridwar village, officials said.

 (With PTI inputs)