Legislators from the Opposition All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam were suspended from the Tamil Nadu Assembly for a day on Tuesday for impeding proceedings by demanding a discussion on the Kallakurichi hooch tragedy during Question Hour, PTI reported.

The toll in the tragedy rose to 59 after one more person died during the day, The Hindu reported. Over 100 others were undergoing treatment at various hospitals.

On Tuesday, the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam MLAs attempted to bring up the tragedy during the Question Hour ahead of the proceedings of the Assembly, PTI reported. The Opposition leaders chanted slogans and crowded around the well of the House, The Hindu reported.

Speaker M Appavu then ordered that the Opposition party’s legislators be removed from the Assembly.

Chief Minister MK Stalin told the Assembly that the matter had already been debated in detail and claimed that the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam was indulging in such “planned activities” due to its loss in the recently-concluded Lok Sabha election, PTI reported.

The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam-led alliance in Tamil Nadu, which includes the Congress, won all 39 seats in the state and the lone Puducherry segment in the general election.

During the session on Tuesday, state minister and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam leader KN Nehru also moved a resolution urging the speaker to suspend the Opposition leaders who had chanted slogans and created a “ruckus” in the House from attending the rest of the session, PTI reported.

However, Stalin intervened and said that a day’s suspension was enough, The Hindu reported. The Assembly then adopted a resolution that was “unanimous”, the speaker said, according to PTI.

Later in the day, All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam leaders led by party general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami submitted a memorandum to Governor RN Ravi, demanding action against the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam government in light of the tragedy.

Deaths due to spurious liquor

The spurious liquor that caused the 59 deaths was bought from a vendor in the Karunapuram area of Kallakurichi town. After consuming the liquor, the patients complained of severe dizziness, headache, nausea, stomach pain, and eye irritation. Reports of the deaths first emerged on June 20.

The All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and Pattali Makkal Katchi had demanded that the Central Bureau of Investigation should look into the matter. However, Tamil Nadu Law Minister S Regupathy rejected the demand, claiming that the state government had acted transparently and had not suppressed anything.

The state government has ordered a judicial inquiry into the deaths. The inquiry will be carried out by retired Madras High Court judge Justice B Gokuldas, who has been asked to submit a report in three months.