CHENNAI: DMK’s party organ Murasoli on Tuesday slammed AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami and BJP MLA Vanathi Srinivasan for demanding the resignation of Chief Minister MK Stalin in the wake of the hooch tragedy. The write-up recalled several “mass fatalities” that had taken place in Tamil Nadu during the tenure of former chief minister and AIADMK leader J Jayalalithaa and during BJP rule in Gujarat.
The article mentioned three incidents of liquor deaths in Tamil Nadu in 2001 when Jayalalithaa was chief minister. A total of 52 people had died and over 30 others had lost vision in Panrutti, Cuddalore district, due to consumption of spurious liquor in December 2001.
A total of 30 people died due to the same reason in Kottur village near Red Hills in October 2001. Three persons had died of a similar reason near Kancheepuram in November 2001. The article wondered why Jayalalithaa did not resign from her post taking responsibility for these tragic incidents.
Criticising Vanathi Srinivasan for her demand, the article said around 40 people had lost their lives in Botad district of Gujarat due to consumption of spurious liquor in July last year. Around 6,000 people had died in the country, including in states where the BJP ruled, from 2016 to 2020.
The write-up asked whether Vanathi Srinivasan would ask the chief ministers of BJP-ruled states to take responsibility for these deaths and resign. After engaging in conflicts with the ruling party on multiple issues, the opposition has now trained its gun at the government “exploiting the liquor tragedy,” the article said.