The dead bodies of the victims in the Kallakurichi hooch tragedy, which were buried without post-mortem, were exhumed on Sunday for further confirmation. This exhumation was conducted to confirm the consumption of illicit liquor and provide compensation to the families, reported ANI quoting district officials. Meanwhile, the toll in the tragedy has increased to 56.
There were a total of 216 patients admitted to four hospitals in Tamil Nadu, out of which, 56 have died. Most deaths occurred at Kallakurichi Medical College, where 31 people were declared dead.
Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) party chief and actor Kamal Haasan met the victims of the Kallakurichi Hooch tragedy. He requested the government to create psychiatric centers which would counsel the victims. Kamal Haasan stated that the incident highlights the dangers of excessive alcohol consumption, emphasizing that exceeding the limit in any form is harmful.
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman launched an attack on the Congress party, alleging that they had remained silent on the incident. “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,” Sitharaman told ANI. She further criticized the Tamil Nadu government, stating that the state is facing a drug menace and young people are losing their lives without any action being taken.
Congress leader K Suresh countered Sitharaman’s accusations, pointing out that similar hooch tragedies have occurred in BJP-ruled states, and Sitharaman had remained silent on those occasions. He also called for a moment of silence and repentance from the INDIA alliance for the deaths in the hooch tragedy during the upcoming Parliament session.
