SIT should be conducted under the leadership of a sitting judge of the High Court in the Bhavnagar fake liquor incident : Amit Chavda

Ahmedabad , Gujarat: Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee President Amit Chavda said that Gujarat has been known as a peaceful Gujarat for years across the country and Gandhi’s liquor prohibition law in Gujarat has also played an important role in maintaining this peace. But due to the extortion policy of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s double engine government, today the liquor prohibition law in Gujarat has remained only on paper. Every day, incidents of flouting the liquor prohibition law are coming to light in public and the people of Gujarat are becoming its victims.

He added that due to the extortion of the BJP government, liquor is being dumped in Gujarat by filling trucks and containers from the borders of Gujarat and liquor is being sold in every street of the state. Young people are ruining their lives by getting addicted to alcohol and drugs at a young age, many families are being ruined and our sisters and daughters are becoming widows at a young age. Due to the evil of alcohol and drugs, a situation has been created as if Gujarat has become a ‘Udata Gujarat’. Today, even the common people have a question that why does alcohol come and sell in such large quantities in Gujarat? Because bootleggers start the installment of alcohol and drugs from the police station and reach the office of the Chief Minister and Home Minister and that is why they brag in public that they cannot bend anyone’s hair.

Under the rule of this usurping government, alcohol is sold, consumed and frequent lynchings also occur. Due to the criminal negligence of the government, many innocent people die in lynchings. The state government is also responsible for this massacre. The current sad incident in Bhavnagar is not the first. There have been incidents of lynching for years under the BJP rule. In the year 2009, more than 140 people died in the lynching incident in Ahmedabad and about 200 people lost their eyesight. In the year 2016, more than 16 people died in the lynching incident in Surat. In the year 2022, 50 people died in the lynching incident in rural areas and Botad of Ahmedabad district. In the year 2024, two people died in the lynching incident in Dehgam of Gandhinagar and many people were affected. In the year 2025, three people died in the lynching incident in Nadiad of Kheda and many people were affected.

Chavda said that despite such incidents happening for years, the government has failed to bring a permanent solution. The main reason behind this tradition is the corruption and extortion prevalent in the BJP government. If the government stops taking installments from liquor and drugs and implements the prohibition law honestly, then a situation may arise where not a single drop of liquor is available in Gujarat. But due to the greed for making money and extortion, the government is not taking strict action against the illegal liquor network.

The police FIR regarding the recent crackdown in Karkadi village of Bhavnagar district has recorded details of people dying due to the crackdown containing toxic chemicals. About six people have died in this incident and many people are still undergoing treatment in the hospital. According to the details recorded in the FIR, methanol was transported from Sarkhej in Ahmedabad to Bhavnagar through transport to make duplicate liquor. What is more serious is that the accused who made this duplicate liquor have made and sold duplicate liquor in this way twice before, as recorded in the FIR.

If in the FIR, so many boxes of liquor were brought, so much liquor was made, where the material came from, where it was stored and where it was supplied, why do the police get the details only after the incident and after the deaths of people? Why did the police not know about all these things in advance? Why was this entire illegal activity not stopped earlier due to the greed for taking installments? It is a very serious matter that all the details come to light in the name of police action only after the deaths of people.

The question of the people of Gujarat is what is the prohibition law for? If liquor comes to Gujarat by filling containers from the borders, then who is responsible for it? When liquor is sold in an area and a lathicharge occurs, the government cannot escape its responsibility by holding only the officers of that police station responsible. Why is the responsibility of the SP not decided? Why is the responsibility of the Range IG not decided? Why is the responsibility of the DGP not decided? Why does the state Home Minister not come before the people of Gujarat and accept responsibility? Why doesn’t the Chief Minister express regret and accept that his government has failed to implement the prohibition law and innocent lives have been lost due to it?

The basic responsibility of the state Home Minister is to maintain the safety of the people of Gujarat, maintain law and order and ensure strict implementation of the prohibition law. But the Home Minister is seen playing Garba, making reels or busy with other programs, while people are dying in the fake liquor incident in Gujarat. The Home Minister needs to fulfill his basic responsibility. Therefore, the Congress party clearly demands that the Home Minister come before the people of Gujarat, accept his responsibility and if he has even a little morality resign immediately.

Regarding the second main demand of the Congress party, an impartial and in-depth investigation should be conducted into the entire incident of the Bhavnagar fake liquor incident by forming an SIT under the leadership of a sitting judge of the High Court. This is not the first incident, but such incidents are happening repeatedly and innocent people are losing their lives. Therefore, the entire case cannot be ended by arresting only minor accused. The entire link should be investigated, from the liquor makers to the suppliers, those who deliver methanol, the illegal network and the role of the police and the administration that failed to take action against it.

To find out the facts of the fake liquor incident in Bhavnagar, to visit the affected areas and to investigate the entire case, a Congress delegation comprising State Working President and MLA Jignesh Mevani, former MLA Rajeshbhai Gohil, State Vice President Dr. Hemangbhai Vasavada, state general secretary Haribhai Bharwad and Virendrasinh Vaghela (Ajitsinh), Bhavnagar city Congress committee president Manoharsinh Gohil, Bhavnagar district Congress committee president Pravinbhai Rathod will visit Bhavnagar tomorrow. The delegation will prepare a detailed report by getting information about the facts of the entire incident, the responsible people and the role of the system and in the upcoming assembly session, the government will be held responsible for this issue and a discussion will be held on it. Along with this, the demand for the resignation of the Home Minister in the interest of the people of Gujarat will also be raised in the assembly.