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Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) organisational secretary RS Bharathi stirred up a fresh controversy when he made insensitive comments about the Kallakurichi hooch tragedy.
While speaking at a party event, Bharathi spoke about DMK’s consecutive victories in elections, after the entry of Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin in 2018.
He praised DMK’s methodical way of functioning and stated that the Opposition was trying to use certain lapses in law-and-order as propaganda against the ruling party. That’s when he mentioned the spurious liquor tragedy that happened on June 10, 2024 that claimed 68 lives. He used words “koluthu poi”, which translates to being foolish for those who consumed the hooch.
“You wouldn’t have forgotten. By-election was announced in Vikravandi. We were working in Vikravandi when a tragedy occurred in Kallakurichi. ‘Koluthu poi’, some drank spurious liquor and died,” he said.
“I’ll have to speak like this as there is no other way because whoever dies… we have to cry, there is no other way. They all were being foolish and drank (adulterated alcohol) and we had to take various actions,” Bharathi said.
In the aftermath of the tragedy in Kallakurichi in Vikravandi district, the Tamil Nadu state government had announced Rs 10 lakh solatium to families affected by the incident. Several government officials, including the district collector and the superintendent of police were also transferred out of the district.
Bharathi also blamed leaders from regional party Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) leaders S Ramadoss and Anbumani Ramadoss, and AIADMK leader Edappadi K Palanisamy for trying to make Kallakurichi an electoral issue. He also said these leaders tried to use Bahujan Samajwadi Party (BSP) state president K Armstrong’s murder attempted to make it a political issue, but DMK won Vikravandi with 62,000 votes, thanks to Udhayanidhi Stalin’s campaign.
It was not the first time Bharathi used Kallakurichi in his political rhetoric. In late June, Bharathi called the incident “planned conspiracy by Annamalai”.
Bharathi also reacted adversely to Madras High Court’s ruling to hand over the probe into the tragedy to Central Bureau of Investigation.
