Drugs worth over Rs 2.5 lakh cr caught in Gujarat in 5 years, claims Cong; slams BJP govt's 'inaction', PM's 'silence'

The Congress on Monday alleged drugs worth Rs 2.5 lakh crore had been seized in Gujarat in the last five years and promised to get the illegal business probed by Central agencies if the party came to power.Addressing the media, Supriya Shrinate, chairperson of the Congress social media operations, also demanded the resignation or sacking of Gujarat Home Minister Harsh Sanghavi for allegedly failing to curb the illegal trade and nabbing the real culprits involved.Private ports like Mundra and Pipavav in Gujarat have become gateways to bring drugs into the country.

The Congress on Monday alleged drugs worth Rs 2.5 lakh crore had been seized in Gujarat in the last five years and promised to get the illegal business probed by Central agencies if the party came to power.

Addressing the media, Supriya Shrinate, chairperson of the Congress' social media operations, also demanded the resignation or sacking of Gujarat Home Minister Harsh Sanghavi for allegedly failing to curb the illegal trade and nabbing the real culprits involved.

''Private ports like Mundra and Pipavav in Gujarat have become gateways to bring drugs into the country. I am told drugs worth Rs 2,50,000 crore were caught between 2017 and 2022 in Gujarat. This figure is larger than Gujarat's budget,'' Shrinate alleged at the press conference.

Why have Central agencies like the Enforcement Directorate, Central Bureau of Investigation or the Narcotics Control Bureau not conducted a thorough probe by questioning the owners of these two private ports, she asked.

''Moreover, four factories manufacturing synthetic drugs were busted in the last three months. This is happening right under the nose of Harsh Sanghavi, who is doing nothing to stop it. We believe he should resign on moral grounds. And if he does not, he should be sacked,'' the Congress leader said.

She questioned the silence of the probe agencies and sought to know if Prime Minister Narendra Modi had asked private port owners why drugs were landing in their ports.

''Did Modiji frame new guidelines for such ports to stop the import of drugs? If not, then why? This is a matter of national security and Congress will keep raising this issue. If the Congress comes to power in Gujarat, it will investigate the illegal drugs business in the state through ED, CBI and other agencies,'' she said.

On the occasion, Shrinate also launched a website to highlight the failures of the BJP government in Gujarat to tackle the drug menace, the move coming ahead of the state Assembly polls expected to be held in December. Incidentally, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had during the day attacked PM Modi over multiple drug hauls from Gujarat and asked for how long he would be silent on the matter.