CHENNAI: Law Minister S Regupathy on Sunday accused the BJP of using the Narcotics Control Bureau to malign the DMK government as it did in the past using agencies like I-T department, CBI and Enforcement Directorate. DMK’s legal adviser and MP P Wilson said civil and criminal cases will be filed against those who level allegations linking the DMK or its leaders with the drug trafficking issue.
Answering reporters at the DMK headquarters, Regupathy said the efforts of the BJP to malign the DMK will not succeed. The DMK has been playing a key role in bringing together opposition parties to redeem India from the autocratic grip of the BJP, the saffron party is ‘engaged in a misadventure’ to malign the DMK.
“We promise we will not have anyone who is engaged in illegal activities in our party. NCB has seized narcotic substances relating to Jaffer Sadiq only in Delhi and other states. The agency did not seize anything in Tamil Nadu since our government contained the drug menace. Those connected with Sadiq are in the AIADMK and the BJP,” Regupathy charged. Since the people of north Indian states have asked the BJP why they failed to ensure growth on a par with Tamil Nadu, the saffron party is trying to portray Tamil Nadu as a state that has drugs.
Regupathy said there were more than two crore members in the DMK and the party cannot admit everyone after investigating them. But when it comes to the knowledge of the party that someone has committed a wrong, action is taken immediately. Jaffer Sadiq has been expelled from the party.
The minister also pointed out that courts have hailed the efforts taken by the DMK to prevent the drug menace after the party assumed office in the State. “NCB deputy director Gnaneshwar Singh meet the press in Delhi even before a probe into the drug trafficking was completed. He has done this to malign the DMK and the BJP is out to gain political mileage out of this,” Regupathy added.
The law minister said during the AIADMK regime, certain ministers were assisting gutka traders and the DMK moved court seeking a CBI inquiry into the issue. A note with details of giving `85 crore to ministers was found in the residence of former minister C Vijaya Baskar. “But, central agencies failed to take any action on this,” he added.
The minister also said NCB has issued a lookout notice for Jaffer Sadiq on February 15. But he took part in a function relating to a film titled ‘Mangai’ on February 21. “What was the NCB doing at that time? In 2013, a case was filed against Sadiq when the AIADMK was in power. However, the then state government did not conduct the case properly. At that time, advocate Paul Kanagaraj, who is now the president of BJP’s advocates wing, appeared for Sadiq and saved him. This happened during the AIADMK regime,” he added.