Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman speaks in the Lok Sabha.
Credit: PTI Photo
New Delhi: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday asked Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) member Thol Thirumavalavan to "preach" prohibition in his own state of Tamil Nadu where 56 people died recently after consuming spurious liquor.
Participating in the debate on Motion of Thanks on the President's address in the Lok Sabha, the VCK MP, who spoke in Tamil, raised the drug abuse issue in his speech.
The VCK is an ally of the DMK government in Tamil Nadu.
Intervening in the debate, Sitharaman said Thirumavalavan is requesting the Union government to invoke provisions given in the Constitution, particularly referring to the Preamble, to bring in prohibition and also to ensure that there are no drugs in the country.
Sitharaman, who is a Rajya Sabha member from Andhra Pradesh, said the VCK MP has raised a very noble cause, which is appreciable.
"But the party, with which he's in alliance in Tamil Nadu, is in power there...where more than 56 people died due to consumption of illicit liquor. He should first preach there. Drug abuse is rampant in Tamil Nadu," Sitharaman said in the Lok Sabha.
The hooch tragedy in Tamil Nadu's Kallakurichi district took place last month. The tragedy left over 56 people dead and many are still hospitalised.
The ruling DMK faced flak over the issue from the main opposition party AIADMK and the BJP, which have been demanding a CBI probe into the incident in the state's northern district.