Patna, April 6 (IANS) Amid recurring hooch tragedies in Bihar, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav on Monday mounted an attack on the Nitish Kumar government over frequent incidents of illicit liquor smuggling and alleged rampant corruption, questioning the effectiveness of the state’s prohibition policy.

Marking 10 years of the liquor ban, Tejashwi alleged that the policy has failed to achieve its objectives due to what he described as a powerful nexus between sections of the administration and the liquor mafia.

“Prohibition has turned into Nitish Kumar’s biggest institutional corruption,” he claimed, alleging that it has given rise to an illegal parallel economy worth nearly Rs 40,000 crore.

He further pointed out that the departments responsible for enforcing prohibition — including the Home Department and the Excise Department — have largely remained under the Chief Minister’s direct control, raising questions about accountability.

Citing official data, Tejashwi said that since the implementation of prohibition, over 11 lakh cases have been registered and more than 16 lakh people arrested across the state, adding that over 5 crore litres of liquor have been seized so far, including more than two crore litres in the last five years alone — averaging over 11,000 litres per day.

In 2026, he claimed, an average of 3.7 lakh litres of illicit liquor was seized per month.

He argued that these figures represent only a fraction of the actual scale of liquor consumption, calling them the “tip of the iceberg”. According to him, the real daily consumption could be as high as 17 lakh litres.

He also cited government data suggesting an 18 per cent increase in liquor seizures in 2026, which he said reflects a rise in illegal supply despite the prohibition law.

The RJD leader further alleged that the failure of prohibition has contributed to a 40 per cent increase in the trade of narcotics and other intoxicants, claiming that youth in Bihar are increasingly turning to substances such as cannabis and heroin.

Questioning the enforcement mechanism, Tejashwi asked how such large quantities of liquor continue to enter the state. “Liquor doesn’t fall from the sky. The government must explain when, how, and with whose complicity this is happening,” he said, urging authorities to make consumption data public instead of focusing solely on seizure figures.

He also referred to historical trends, claiming that the number of liquor shops in Bihar rose significantly — from fewer than 500 in rural areas in 2004-05 to over 6,000 by 2015 — alleging that this expansion took place under Nitish Kumar’s tenure and facilitated widespread access to alcohol before prohibition.

Continuing his attack, Tejashwi Yadav drew a historical comparison to question the intent behind Bihar’s prohibition policy. “From Independence in 1947 until 2005 — a span of 58 years — only around 3,000 liquor shops were opened in Bihar. However, between 2005 and 2015, under Nitish Kumar, this number doubled to nearly 6,000. While the earlier average stood at about 51 shops per year, it surged to nearly 300 annually during that decade,” he alleged.

Tejashwi further accused the Chief Minister of projecting himself as a social reformer under the guise of prohibition while, in reality, fostering what he termed “institutionalised corruption”.

He claimed that the policy has made sections of the administrative machinery unaccountable, corrupt, and authoritarian, and described the prohibition law as a complete farce.

Raising concerns over its implementation, he alleged that the law disproportionately targets the poor. “Of the over 16 lakh people arrested under prohibition, the majority belong to poor, Dalit, Backward, and Extremely Backward communities,” he said.

Referring to judicial observations, Tejashwi claimed that the Supreme Court of India had remarked on the role of police in enabling liquor smuggling. He alleged that despite large-scale arrests, action has largely been limited to lower-level offenders, while suppliers, smugglers, and senior officials remain untouched.

“Even after such massive enforcement, no significant action has been taken against senior officers such as SPs or DSPs. This indicates selective enforcement, where the government acts only against those it chooses to target,” he said.

Questioning the accountability of the administration, Tejashwi asked why strict action is not taken against officials allegedly complicit in undermining prohibition through corruption.

Meanwhile, the toll of the East Champaran hooch tragedy has reached 9, and over 15 people have been admitted to Sadar Hospital, Motihari and are battling for their lives.

–IANS

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