RJD leader Tejashwi Prasad Yadav swamped chief minister Nitish Kumar with a dozen questions on prohibition as the toll in the latest hooch tragedy in Bihar shot up to 42 on Friday.

At least 28 people have died in Siwan district after consuming illicit liquor, while the toll in neighbouring Saran has gone up to 12. Two deaths have been reported in Gopalganj.

Tejashwi said: “Prohibition is just a small example of the institutionalised corruption of Nitish Kumar. It is the responsibility of the government to enforce the liquor ban completely. However, the ban has become a super flop because of the chief minister’s ambiguity on ideological and policy fronts. A black market of ₹30,000 crore in liquor is thriving because of the nexus of the ruling politicians, police and mafia.”

To bolster his allegations, Tejashwi pointed out that the seizure of 3.46 lakh crore litres of liquor was being shown on paper in the state despite prohibition.

“According to an honest senior police officer, there is a scam in liquor seizure as well because the police seize one dilapidated truck of alcohol after allowing 20 truckloads of liquor into the state,” he added.

Tejashwi proceeded to ask Nitish 12 questions on prohibition. He asked who was responsible if such a huge quantity of alcohol was being seized in the state, and who was responsible for the death of thousands of people due to consumption of illicit liquor. He also sought to know what action had been taken againstthe culprits.

The questions included why no action was taken against any senior police officer or district superintendent of police (SP) so far, and whether it was not the failure of the police of five to six districts that fall between state capital Patna, where he claimed liquor was available, and the districts on the state's border.

Tejashwi asked about the allegations of a retired bureaucrat being involved in an "auction" for the position of SP in border districts. He sought to know why a majority of the 12.7 lakh people arrested in 8.43 lakh cases hailed from the poor and deprived sections since liquor prohibition was imposed in April 2016.

“How many police officers of the rank of deputy superintendent and above have been punished or dismissed till now? Who is responsible if liquor smuggling is still going on in the statedespite around 6,600 raids everyday on an average by the police and excise department?” he asked.

The RJD leader wanted to know whether Nitish would take responsibility for the failure of prohibition and why mostly the leaders and workers of the ruling Janata Dal United (JDU) were being arrested for flouting prohibition.

Tejashwi added: “Such a huge tragedy has happened but the chief minister has neither interacted with the media nor the public northe victims.”