Drug hauls from Gujarat | ‘Ease of doing drug business’, asks Rahul Gandhi in an attack on PM Modi

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s attack came days after the Anti-Narcotics Cell of Mumbai Police busted a mephedrone manufacturing unit in Gujarat and seized drugs worth ₹1,026 crore

Rahul Gandhi. File | Photo Credit: AP

Former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi on August 22 targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi over repeated drug hauls from Gujarat and questioned his silence on the issue.

“‘Ease of doing drug business’ in Gujarat? Mr. Prime Minister, answer these questions. Drugs worth thousands of crores are reaching Gujarat. Who is spreading this poison in the pious land of Gandhi-Patel. Why have the port owners not been questioned despite repeated seizures of drugs,” Mr. Gandhi tweeted.

“Why are NCB [Narcotics Control Bureau] and other government agencies still not able to nab ‘Narcos’ running drug cartels in Gujarat? Who in the Centre and the Gujarat government are protecting the mafia friends. Pradhan Mantri ji, how long will there be silence as one has to answer these questions,” he added in another tweet.

His comments came days after the Anti Narcotics Cell (ANC) of the Mumbai Police busted a mephedrone manufacturing unit in Gujarat and seized drugs worth ₹1,026 crore.

Social media campaign

The Congress leader’s tweets were also coordinated with the party’s social media campaign in poll-bound Gujarat. In Ahmedabad, party’s social media head Supriya Shrinate launched a website and missed call number to target the ruling party

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

Why are Central agencies like the Enforcement Directorate, the Central Bureau of Investigation or the NCB not 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,” Ms. Shrinate added, demanding the State Home Minister’s resignation.