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13 people have died due to drinking poisonous liquor in Sagar district of Madhya Pradesh. State Congress President Jitu Patwari has demanded a judicial inquiry into the matter and fixing of accountability on the responsible officials.

State Congress Committee President Jitu Patwari has written a letter to Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Tuesday regarding the deaths due to poisonous liquor in Sagar, saying that the deaths due to poisonous liquor in Banda area have shocked the entire Madhya Pradesh. The houses where there was life till yesterday, are in mourning today.

State Congress President Patwari said that the developments unfolding in Sagar have raised serious questions on the administrative system. When there were information and complaints about illegal liquor trade, why was no action taken in time? Where was the mechanism to take action after the deaths present before the deaths?

Jitu Patwari has demanded from CM Mohan Yadav that the accountability of Principal Secretary Commercial Tax Amit Rathore and Excise Commissioner Deepak Saxena should also be fixed. Responsibility is not fulfilled by making paper policies while sitting in AC cabins. Whose responsibility was monitoring and effective supervision on the ground? The government will have to give a clear answer to this.

Referring to the reach of liquor from Lalitpur to Sagar, Jitu Patwari has said that whether Sagar’s network is limited only to the local level or its links are connected to inter-state illegal liquor trade, the bottom of this will also have to be found. If spurious liquor reached Sagar from Lalitpur, then what was the system doing to stop it within the borders of Madhya Pradesh.

Patwari said that serious questions are being raised regarding the alleged role of local BJP leaders in this Sagar incident and their relations with the liquor business. If the role of any BJP leader or person associated with him is found then he should not be saved in the name of political protection.

He has demanded that an independent judicial inquiry be conducted into this entire matter. The certified list of the dead should be made public, better treatment and proper financial assistance should be given to all the victims and a case should be registered against the responsible officers under criminal sections, not just transfer or suspension.