New Delhi: The NDA delegation comprising BJP leaders Anil Antony, Arvind Menon, and MP GK Vasan today met with the National Commission for Scheduled Castes Chairman, Kishore Makwana, to submit a memorandum regarding the Kallakurichi (Tamil Nadu) illicit liquor tragedy. They appealed to the Chairman to ensure that the families of the Kallakurichi spurious liquor tragedy victims receive adequate compensation and justice.
The memorandum called for urgent intervention to secure justice for the scheduled caste victims of the Kallakurichi spurious liquor consumption tragedy. This incident, the worst of its kind in Tamil Nadu, has led to 63 deaths and over 150 hospitalizations, shaking the conscience of the entire nation.
This man-made disaster, resulting in the tragic loss of innocent lives, could have been averted if the state government, led by the DMK, had acted timely and taken requisite measures against the deeply rooted and thriving liquor mafia in the southern state.
Media and investigative reports have highlighted how this illicit liquor business operates with impunity, receiving patronage from the state and the police. When the disaster struck, the state administration was busy covering it up instead of taking responsibility, accountability, and saving lives.
Karunapuram in Kallakurichi district is a village largely populated by scheduled castes, who face numerous challenges related to inequality, poverty, human rights violations, and discrimination in Tamil Nadu.
A large number of the victims of the aforementioned tragedy belong to these communities. They frequent the spurious liquor outlets common in these areas due to various circumstances encouraged by the nexus between the state government and the illicit liquor mafia.
It has been noted that these incidents are becoming frequent in Tamil Nadu, with the state suffering another tragedy in the Chengalpattu and Villupuram districts that led to the death of 22 people in May 2023. According to the National Crime Records Bureau, Tamil Nadu reported twenty such deaths in 2020 and six in 2021. Despite repeated tragedies, the state government continues to block a free and fair independent probe into the incident by opposing a CBI investigation. The state government is reluctant to take action against the minister in charge of excise and prohibition.
The National Democratic Alliance, led by the Bharatiya Janata Party, on behalf of the victims and the people of Tamil Nadu, requests your kind and urgent intervention to ensure justice and the well-being of the victims. The Chief Minister and the state government should ensure adequate support and compensation for the families of the victims.
A fair and free probe must be conducted to ensure that the perpetrators of these criminal and illicit activities face the full brunt of the law. There should be a complete stoppage of these activities in the state. The officers and administrators whose lapses, inaction, and complicity led to these incidents should be fully held accountable and face stringent action.
Unfortunately, the state Chief Minister has not visited the tragedy-stricken areas. A comprehensive report of the incident and the actions taken to safeguard the interests of the Scheduled Castes and ensure justice for the victims should be made available to the public at the earliest.
