10 people have died so far, with several others in critical condition and undergoing intensive treatment in the hospital after consuming illicit liquor in the Marakkanam areas of Villupuram district in Tamil Nadu. In a similar incident, the number of deaths due to consumption of spurious liquor in Chengalpattu district has increased to 5.
Following this incident, Tamil Nadu DGP Sylendra Babu directed all district SPs, city police commissioners, and Prohibition Division officers to step up anti-liquor operations. Consequently, police in Tamil Nadu are actively investigating and making arrests in this regard.
So far, 410 people have been arrested in 10 districts, including Kanchipuram, Chengalpattu, Thiruvallur, Villupuram, Nagai, Mayiladuthurai, and Cuddalore, in connection with the sale of illegal liquor. 150 people have been remanded in custody. Around 260 criminals are out on bail and ten people have gone missing. According to the DGP office, 8,748 liters of spurious liquor and 4,720 bottles of spirits have been confiscated thus far, and action is being taken against spurious liquor in various districts.
Opposition leader Edappadi K Palaniswami who addressing the press at the Trichy Airport said, “I had previously spoken in the assembly about the widespread sale of illegal liquor in Tamil Nadu. Chief Minister MK Stalin should take moral responsibility and resign for the death due to spurious liquor. Murder, robbery, bootlegging drugs, and ganja have increased in Tamil Nadu since Stalin’s tenure as Chief Minister. Stalin is an incompetent chief minister. This government is promoting alcohol and looking at it as the only source of revenue.”
Tamil Nadu BJP President Annamalai condemned the DMK government for its apathy, saying, “While the illegal sale of liquor by TASMAC is going on, the sale of fake liquor is rampant now which shows the apathy of the DMK government. On behalf of the Tamil Nadu BJP, I urge the Tamil Nadu government to immediately wake up from its slumber and take stringent action to eliminate the sale of spurious liquor.”
Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin personally met individuals at Mundyambakkam Government Hospital who were being treated for the consumption of spurious liquor.
On Sunday (14 May 2023), Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin announced that each of the deceased’s families would be given ₹10 lakh. The CM also announced a compensation of ₹50,000 each to the 12 people who have been hospitalized.
This announcement of compensation by MK Stalin’s DMK government has now drawn criticism for treating people differently while awarding ex-gratia amounts.
On 5 March 2023, the DMK government announced an ex-gratia payment of ₹3 lakhs to the families of those killed in an explosion at a private explosives manufacturing plant in Sivanaarpuram village, Cuddalore district.
This discrimination in the allocation of ex-gratia has now been criticized by many on social media.
டாஸ்மாக் பறித்த தாலிகளுக்கு எவ்வளவு நிவாரணம் முதல்வரே? pic.twitter.com/X0ckujVqaw
— En Mann En Makkal (@EnMannEnMakkal) May 15, 2023
Question: திராவிட model என்றால் என்ன?
Answer: பட்டாசு ஆலை வெடி விபத்தில் உயிரிழந்தவரின் குடும்பத்துக்கு 3 இலட்ச ரூபாய் நிவாரணம். கள்ளச்சாராயம் குடித்து உயிரிழந்தவரின் குடும்பத்துக்கு 10 இலட்ச ரூபாய் நிவாரணம்#DMKFailsTN #DMKFails #DMK #DravidaModel— B R Sreenivasan (@SreenivasanBR) May 15, 2023