CHENNAI: Law Minister S Regupathy has criticised Governor RN Ravi for the latter’s remarks at Sankarankoil on Sunday, claiming that Tamil Nadu has failed to control the infiltration of synthetic drugs in the state and that the Tamil Nadu police was not able to seize the drugs.
In a statement, the minister condemned Ravi for making such statements without knowing the facts. He questioned why Governor Ravi did not raise concerns about Gujarat, which, according to Regupathy, has become a hub for drug-related activities.
He further questioned whether the Governor had a moral authority to criticise the state government since he had withheld permission for over a year to register drug-related cases against former AIADMK ministers.
Regupathy said that it was the incumbent government which for the very first time organised a coordination meeting with district collectors and police superintendents in 2022 to tackle the drug menace in the state following the commitment of Chief Minister MK Stalin to create a ‘Drug-free Tamil Nadu’.
He further recalled that 10,665 cases related to drugs were filed in 2022, resulting in the arrest of 14,934 individuals, including 19 foreigners; while 10,256 cases against 14,770 accused in 2023. The minister highlighted that due to the state government’s stern actions, the conviction rate of NDPS Act cases in TN was more than 80% in the past two years.