Chennai, Mar 8
The opposition AIADMK on Friday demanded that Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin clarify how a former DMK functionary involved in drug smuggling became close to a senior police official and other influential personalities.
Alleging that the state has turned into a den of drugs under DMK rule, AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami said the chief minister owes an explanation to the people on how Jaffer Sadiq, who is alleged to be a mastermind in a drug smuggling racket, gained access to a senior police official.
“Jaffer Sadiq became close to the DMK leadership and even obtained a gift from a DGP. This is very unfortunate and anguishing and needs to be condemned,” Palaniswami told reporters here.
The chief minister has a moral responsibility to make things clear, Palaniswami said, calling out Sadiq’s expulsion from the ruling party as a “mere formality.” Sadiq had been the deputy organiser of the Chennai West unit of DMK’s NRI wing.
Speaking to reporters after participating in the International Women’s Day celebration organised by the AIADMK women’s wing at the party headquarters here, the former chief minister said the recent seizure of drugs by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, Indian Coast Guard and Narcotics Control Bureau was shocking.
He was apparently referring to the raids on February 15 by Delhi Police and the Narcotics Bureau (NCB) at a godown in West Delhi, where they allegedly found suspects trying to pack 50 kg of pseudoephedrine (a sought-after chemical precursor in the illicit manufacture of recreational drug methamphetamine) into fake packets of multigrain food mix.
The authorities said they had busted an international network involved in the smuggling of 3,500 kg of pseudoephedrine valued at over Rs 2,000 crore in the international market, and named Jaffer Sadiq as the alleged mastermind behind it.
As Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly, Palaniswami said he frequently raised the issue of drug peddling in the state, especially near educational institutions.
“But, it appears that the Stalin government has not taken any steps to restrict the trafficking. Hence, the state has become a den of drugs.”
