Bottled up: Probe ordered into presence of liquor bottles in Bihar assembly

Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar has been facing flak over recent hooch tragedies that have claimed more than 40 lives.

Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar on Monday said a probe was underway into the presence of empty liquor bottles in Bihar assembly premises.

Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar clashed with leader of Opposition Tejashwi Yadav over the presence of liquor bottles. (File photo)

“An investigation is being done over the incident of empty liquor bottles found in Patna. Probe is underway on both angles, whether someone has really drunk alcohol there or bottles are just thrown away in the area. Officials are on alert. I'm reading all reports,” Nitish Kumar was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

Last week, liquor bottles that were found on the premises of the legislative assembly. The empty liquor bottles, which were recovered from under a tree in the Bihar Vidhan Sabha premises earmarked as the parking lot for two-wheelers, come as a fresh embarrassment to the Nitish Kumar government – which had already been drawing flak over hooch tragedies that have claimed more than 40 lives.

Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Tejashwi Yadav had launched a missive on Nitish Kumar, suggesting that he and the state ministers are involved in the liquor trade. Tejashwi Yadav also claimed he saw a picture of Nitish Kumar with the “liquor mafia”.