BJP Lok Sabha members Thursday termed the deaths in Bihar due to the hooch tragedy as "mass murder" and urged the Centre to take immediate action against the government under Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, holding it responsible for the incident.

Raising the issue during Zero Hour, BJP's Paschim Champaran MP Sanjay Jaiswal claimed that spurious liquor sale has been flourishing in Bihar under the protection of police officers despite a prohibition in place.

But the chief minister does not take any action against any of them, he charged.

BJP's Aurangabad MP Sushil Kumar Singh termed the hooch tragedy deaths as "mass murder" and held the Bihar government responsible for it.

"There is no hope from Bihar government," he said.

"As many as 37 people have died. It's Bihar government-sponsored murder of 37 people. Spurious liquor is supplied to every household by the police, with the help and protection of the police in the state despite prohibition in place," Jaiswal alleged.

According to Saran District Magistrate Rajesh Meena, the death toll in the hooch tragedy has climbed to 26, up from 21 on Wednesday night.

"More than 15 such incidents have taken place so far. But he (the chief minister) says those who drink liquor would die or go to jail, and those selling the poisonous liquor would become his party's candidate to contest elections on his party ticket," Jaiswal alleged.

The way the chief minister speaks in the assembly on the issue, it seems he has lost his "mental balance", he added.

"I urge the central government to take cognizance of the (prevailing) law-and-order situation and also take immediate action against the Mahagathbandhan government of Bihar which is responsible for the murder of 37 people (in hooch tragedy)," he demanded.

Jaiswal also demanded that action be taken against the police officers who are allegedly involved in sale of spurious liquor and have made "hundreds of crores of rupees" out of it.

BJP's MP from Saran Rajiv Pratap Rudy also hit out at the Bihar government over the issue and demanded that the Union home ministry send a central team without any delay to take stock of the ground situation in the state.

He also demanded that the home ministry call for a report from the state, alleging that the Bihar government has "completely failed" in fulfilling its responsibility.

The BJP MP claimed that the death toll in the hooch tragedy has gone up to reach 52 and the numbers may further increase.

After Rudy raised the issue, some opposition members pointed out there have been deaths in hooch tragedy in Uttar Pradesh also in the past, asking the BJP MPs why these incidents are not being highlighted in the House.

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