On Friday, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said that his government would not provide any financial compensation to the families of those killed by consuming spurious liquor in the Bihar hooch tragedy. Nitish Kumar underlined that ‘if you drink, you will die.

The Chief Minister was responding to a demand by Communist Party of India (CPI) MLA Satyendra Yadav for monetary compensation to bereaved family members.

“No compensation will be given to people who died after drinking. Those who drink and lose their lives, as a result,  deserve no sympathy and no compensation. We have been appealing – if you drink, you will die. Those who talk in favor of drinking will not bring any good to you,” Chief Minister said.

“Please do not take such a stand, have always looked upon Left parties as allies. If you people feel prohibition is wrong then say upfront. The law was brought in with the consent of all. If all today think we were in the wrong, we may withdraw it,” the Chief Minister added.

The death toll in the Bihar hooch tragedy crossed 50 on Friday. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar asked not to forget that deaths have taken place because of bad (drinking) habits. 

The Nitish Kumar government has banned the sale and consumption of alcohol in the state since April 2016. The ban remains in place despite strong protests from opposition parties.

On Thursday, CM Nitish Kumar said that the ban has benefitted several people. “A large number of people have given up alcohol, this is good. Several people have accepted. but there are some troublemakers, have told officers to identify and capture them,” the Chief Minister said.