Patna, Dec 20 (IANS): BJP Rajya Sabha member and Bihar's former Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi slammed Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for his party leaders' opposition to the National Human Right Commission's investigation into the Saran hooch tragedy.

"Why is Nitish Kumar worried about the NHRC investigation on the Saran hooch tragedy? If you have not hidden the numbers, not given a wrong statement, then why are you afraid of it? His party leaders have raised questions on the NHRC investigation.

"The NHRC is an independent institution which does not discriminate between states on the basis of ruling parties. It had served notice to Gujarat government when the bridge collapsed in Morbi and on hooch tragedy in that state. It has also served notice to Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, and Madhya Pradesh governments as well when people died due to spurious liquor. When we were part of the NDA government in Bihar, more than 10 times, the NHRC had served notice to the state government," Modi said.

"I want to point out why would the NHRC not go for an investigation considering the fact that the Chief Minister of the state has become merciless and insensitive and gives statements like 'Jo Piyega Wo Marega'. More than 100 people were killed in the hooch tragedy and the Bihar government claimed only 38 deaths, so why not would the NHRC go for the investigation in such a state. Would there be no rights for poor women and children who lost their bread earners in the tragedy? Nitish Ji, if the NHRC team went to Saran, you should give the actual and real information and allow it for the investigation," he added.

Earlier in the day, JD-U national President Lalan Singh raised a question mark over the NHRC investigation on Saran liquor tragedy in Lok Sabha.

"NHRC has informed the Bihar government that it would investigate the Saran liquor tragedy. I want to point out that this is not a matter for the NHRC, especially when several agencies of the Bihar government are investigating it. The way misuse of constitutional agencies is taking place, is not right. If the NHRC is investigating the Saran incident, why is it not investigating the hooch tragedies in Gujarat and Karnataka," he said in the Lok Sabha.