Oppn leaders should help govt check illegal liquor trade, says CM Nitish Kumar

PATNA: Chief minister (CM) Nitish Kumar on Thursday said leaders of opposition parties and others criticising the government’s prohibition policy were either “hand in gloves” with the elements indulging in illegal liquor trade or turning a blind eye to the steps being taken by the government to end the menace.
“Why don’t they (opposition leaders) keep watch in their districts to defeat the designs of the few mischievous elements who are indulging in liquor trade?,” Nitish, who reached Delhi for eye treatment, told mediapersons there.
Without taking their names, Nitish came hard on leaders of the opposition parties who have been critical of the implementation of the prohibition policy and kept pointing to the unchecked movement of the vehicles that carried liquor after crossing the interstate borders.
“They also have responsibility to make the prohibition policy a success as they were party to the making of the Act and had taken pledge to support it,” Nitish said, adding that the BJP that was in the opposition in 2016 had also supported it, and the department’s minster was from the Congress.
Denying that he had any other engagement other than the check-up of his eyes in Delhi, Nitish said he would only visit Bihar Bhavan and the new building, Bihar Sadan, that has come up in the national capital.
He added that the use of the word ‘bhakchonhar’ by RJD chief Lalu Prasad to describe Congress leader Bhakta Charan Das and the abuse hurled by deputy CM Renu Devi against agitating job seeking youths will not dent, damage or affect the image of Bihar. “Instead, those who have used those words have tarnished their own image,” Nitish said.