Members of AMC standing committee on Thursday had a hot debate over the hooch tragedy in the city.

Congress councillors raised the issue by saying that doctors were forcing the victims’ relatives  to buy costly medicines from private medical stores.

Congress councillor and standing committee member Hasankhan Pathan raised the issue of shortage of medicines at AMC-run Shardaben Hospital. BJP members reacted to this and there was ruckus. The issue was settled with the intervention of the municipal commissioner.

Opposition leader Surendra Baxi registered his strong opposition to mayor Kanaji Thakor’s statement saying that “let it be first confirmed that the patient had consumed liquor, then medicine will be provided free of cost.”

Baxi termed this statement as cold-blooded and said that such a statement from the mayor did not befit his position.