Bihar: 15 students lose consciousness during Nitish Kumar government’s human chain event on alcohol ban

The human chain which was reported to be over 3,000 kilometers and involved more than two crore people.

Updated: January 21, 2017 4:36 PM IST

By Sohit Mishra

Bihar Human chain, Pic courtesy- PTI
Bihar Human chain, Pic courtesy- PTI

Patna, January 21: At least 15 school children fell unconscious during the human chain event organised by the Bihar government to promote the cause of alcohol promotion. The human chain which was reported to be over 3,000 kilometers and involved more than two crore people had already been into controversy after the High Court on Thursday had asked the chief secretary and DGP to explain why students were being involved in the chain. The officials had then assured the bench that the participation for students will not be made mandatory and no action would be taken against any student or teacher for not participating in the event.

The participants in the human chain included Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad Yadav marked the beginning of the second phase of the government’s campaign supporting its ban.

The Bihar government passed the Bihar (Amendment) Act in the Bihar Legislative Assembly on March 31 and the ban on sale of alcohol came in effect in the state on April 5 2016. However, the Patna High Court had declared the state’s law prohibiting alcohol illegal to which the Bihar government approached the Supreme Court to seek transfer against the liquor ban.

The state government had claimed that crime rates in Bihar dropped by 27 per cent after the ban on sale of alcohol came into effect in the state on April 5 2016. Nitish Kumar also thanked everyone for their participation in forming the human chain supporting prohibition of liquor in the state.

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