Patna, Mar 23 (IANS): In wake of a string of deaths across four districts purportedly due to consumption of poisonous liquor, legislators of opposition parties arrived in the Bihar Assembly wearing black bands.

The opposition leaders brought adjournment motion on the issue and due to huge uproar, the Assembly was adjourned twice in the day.

In a jibe at Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, RJD member Mukesh Raushan, wearing a black black over his eyes, introduced himself as "Sushashan Babu" of Bihar.

"I am Sushashan Babu of Bihar and I have completely turned blind. I am unable to see so many deaths due to poisonous liquor.

"In Bihar, liquor is completely banned. Still, a large number of people are dying due to poisonous liquor. Brazenly, the government officials are declaring these natural deaths due to illness. Who is responsible for it? The state government is suffering from a disease called blindness. When they (NDA leaders) become ill, they used to go to Delhi for treatments," Raushan said.

"The liquor ban in Bihar has completely failed here. The nexus of mafias, bureaucrats and ruling party leaders are earning in the cover of the liquor ban. This is the real agenda of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. When liquor is banned in Bihar, how it is available in every locality, and villages. People are consuming it and dying," he added,

As many as 42 persons lost their lives since Holi (March 18) in four districts - 22 in Bhagalpur, 12 in Banka, three in Madhepura and five in Siwan. However, the state police and Excise Department claims that the deaths happened due to illness in the majority of the cases.

"Shockingly, state police failed to recover dead bodies of the victims from the hospitals to conduct autopsies. Hence, their relatives cremated the dead bodies," the RJD lawmaker said.

Bhagalpur police only confirmed that three persons of Sahebganj died reportedly due to the consumption of poisonous liquor.