BJP members on Thursday disrupted the proceedings of the Rajya Sabha over the hooch deaths in Bihar. The Upper House was adjourned three times within a span of an hour as the BJP MPs from Bihar stood in their respective places and demanded a discussion.

No notice had been given for a discussion. When Deputy Chairman Harivansh moved to Zero Hour business and asked BJP MP Biplab Kumar Dev to speak, the party’s members from Bihar started protesting over the hooch deaths.

Opposition parties like the Congress, RJD and the JDU opposed any permission for discussion on Bihar on the ground that law and order is a state subject and the Rajya Sabha is not the appropriate forum for such a discussion.

In July, after over 40 people had died in Gujarat following consumption of hooch, the Congress members had demanded a discussion but were not allowed.

As the members started shouting, Dev also demanded a discussion on the hooch deaths in Bihar’s Saran instead of raising the issue he had informed the Chairman about. Dev was not allowed.

The House functioned normally from 12pm. In the Lok Sabha, BJP members from Bihar demanded central intervention and action against the state government, terming the deaths “mass murder”.

“The central government should take cognisance of the law-and-order situation in Bihar and take action against the Mahagathbandhan government responsible for the deaths,” West Champaran MP Sanjay Jaiswal told the Lok Sabha, raising the issue during Zero Hour.

Jaiswal, who is also the Bihar BJP president, said the spurious liquor trade was flourishing in Bihar under police protection.

“The chief minister says that those who drink liquor will die or go to jail. But those who are running this poisonous business get his party’s tickets and contest elections,” Jaiswal added.

Aurangabad MP Sushil Singh termed the deaths “mass murder” and sought strong action against the Bihar government.

Saran MP Rajiv Pratap Rudy demanded that the Union home ministry immediately send a team to Bihar and also seek a report from the state government.

“The Bihar government has completely failed,” Rudy said.