Who is protecting the hooch mafias in Gujarat: Rahul

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. File pic/AFP

In the wake of the Gujarat hooch tragedy, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday expressed concern over the business of spurious liquor and drugs in the state, and asked which ruling forces are giving protection to the "mafias" involved.

Forty-two people from Botad and neighbouring Ahmedabad district have died so far after consuming the spurious liquor on July 25, while 97 people are still hospitalised in Bhavnagar, Botad and Ahmedabad, Gujarat Minister of State for Home Harsh Sanghavi has said.

"In ‘dry state' Gujarat, many houses were destroyed due to the consumption of spurious liquor. Drugs worth billions are also being recovered from there continuously," Gandhi said in a tweet in Hindi.

"It is a matter of great concern, on the land of Bapu (Mahatma Gandhi) and Sardar (Vallabhbhai) Patel, who are these people who are indiscriminately doing the business of intoxication?" the former Congress chief said.

Fifteen key accused have been arrested. Congress' media department head Pawan Khera and Rajya Sabha MP Amee Yajnik urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to speak up on the deaths and meet the victims' families.

Khera said the Congress demands that the spurious liquor scandal be investigated by a sitting judge of the high court because if the police, which is being accused, will investigate, then there will be no point in that probe.

"Most of the people who died due to drinking spurious liquor were poor and were bread earners of their respective households. Appropriate compensation should be given to such families," Khera said.

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