Barabanki (UP): At least six people died and several others were taken ill after consuming spurious liquor in Ramnagar area of Barabanki district, state Excise Minister Jai Prakash Singh said Tuesday.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has ordered an inquiry into the incident and 10 excise personnel have been suspended.

The minister said the six died after consuming liquor purchased from a shop belonging to one Danvir Singh near Ramnagar on Monday.

The locals belonging to Raniganj and adjoining villages consumed liquor on Monday night and were rushed to Ramnagar Community Health Centre (CHC) soon after, police said.

Four members of a family are said to be among those who lost their lives in the incident, they said.

The Excise Minister said the district excise officer, inspector, three head constables and five constables of the excise department have been suspended and an inquiry ordered by the chief minister.

The minister said the excise commissioner, joint and deputy commissioners have rushed to the spot and further information was awaited.

The chief minister has taken serious note of the incident and directed senior officials to take stern action against all those found guilty, a senior government official said.

Adityanath has also asked the principal secretary, excise, to conduct an inquiry and take action against all those responsible.

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Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.

In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.

Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.

Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.

According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.

He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.

He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.

Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.

He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.

Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.

He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.