New Delhi, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday asked Viduthalai Chiruthigal Katchi (VCK) member Thol Thirumavalavan to "preach" for prohibition in her state Tamil Nadu, where 56 people recently died after drinking spurious liquor.
Participating in the debate on the motion of thanks on the President's address in the Lok Sabha, the VCK MP, who spoke in Tamil, raised the issue of drug abuse in his speech.
VCK is an ally of the DMK government in Tamil Nadu.
Intervening in the debate, Sitharaman said Thirumavalavan was requesting the Central government to implement the provisions given in the Constitution, especially referring to the Preamble, to bring prohibition and also ensure that there is no drug in the country. No medicines.
Sitharaman, who is a Rajya Sabha member from Andhra Pradesh, said the VCK MP has raised a very noble issue, which is commendable.
"But the party with which he is in alliance is in power in Tamil Nadu...where more than 56 people died due to consumption of illicit liquor. He should campaign there first. Drug abuse is rampant in Tamil Nadu. The scale is there," Sitharaman said in the Lok Sabha.
The poisonous liquor tragedy took place in Kallakurichi district of Tamil Nadu last month. More than 56 people died in this tragedy and many are still hospitalized.
The ruling DMK has faced criticism over the issue from main opposition AIADMK and BJP, who are demanding a CBI inquiry into the incident in the northern district of the state.
Participating in the debate on the motion of thanks on the President's address in the Lok Sabha, the VCK MP, who spoke in Tamil, raised the issue of drug abuse in his speech.
VCK is an ally of the DMK government in Tamil Nadu.
Intervening in the debate, Sitharaman said Thirumavalavan was requesting the Central government to implement the provisions given in the Constitution, especially referring to the Preamble, to bring prohibition and also ensure that there is no drug in the country. No medicines.
Sitharaman, who is a Rajya Sabha member from Andhra Pradesh, said the VCK MP has raised a very noble issue, which is commendable.
"But the party with which he is in alliance is in power in Tamil Nadu...where more than 56 people died due to consumption of illicit liquor. He should campaign there first. Drug abuse is rampant in Tamil Nadu. The scale is there," Sitharaman said in the Lok Sabha.
The poisonous liquor tragedy took place in Kallakurichi district of Tamil Nadu last month. More than 56 people died in this tragedy and many are still hospitalized.
The ruling DMK has faced criticism over the issue from main opposition AIADMK and BJP, who are demanding a CBI inquiry into the incident in the northern district of the state.
