BENGALURU/UDUPI : In the wake of the Maharashtra ANTF busting three drug manufacturing units in Bengaluru, the Opposition BJP has demanded Home Minister Dr G Parameshwara’s resignation for failing to act against the drug mafia.
Speaking to media persons in Bengaluru, Leader of Opposition in the Council Chalavadi Narayanaswamy said the Maharashtra police busting drug manufacturing units in Bengaluru gives scope for suspicion that the government was supporting such activities by not taking any action against them. The BJP also launched a poster campaign demanding the home minister’s resignation.
Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly R Ashok launched a scathing attack, alleging that drug mafia has spread its tentacles across the state due to the failure of the government. Speaking to reporters in Kaup in Udupi district, Ashok said the drug menace had reached such proportions that police from Maharashtra were able to detect and crack drug networks operating in Bengaluru, while the Karnataka police had failed to act.
“The Maharashtra police have carried out raids in Bengaluru and seized drugs worth crores of rupees. Why has our intelligence system failed to detect this? Is there a bigger insult than this?” he said.
Ashok alleged that the state government has done nothing to curb drug peddling and claimed that this year’s New Year celebrations will turn into “drug celebrations” due to the spread of narcotics. He criticised the home minister’s alleged inaction, stating that repeated assurances of inquiries and reports had yielded no concrete results.
Ashok further alleged large-scale irregularities within prisons. He claimed that drug peddlers lodged in jails in cities such as Mangaluru and Bengaluru were enjoying “five-star hotel facilities.”
He said Chief Minister Siddaramaiah was preoccupied with leadership issues and alleged that the state was being “run by outsiders”.
