Chennai: The All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) took to the streets on Monday in a widespread demonstration against the escalating drug crisis gripping Tamil Nadu, condemning the apparent inaction of the DMK-led government in curbing the menace.
During a protest rally held in Villupuram, AIADMK’s Rajya Sabha MP and former Law Minister, CVe Shanmugham, vehemently criticized the government’s failure to address the pressing issue of drug proliferation. Shanmugham highlighted the recent disappearance of DMK leader Jaffer Sadik following the Narcotics Control Bureau’s bust of a drug racket in New Delhi on February 15, stressing the international implications of the drug trade.
Expressing concern over Tamil Nadu’s transformation into a hub for drug trafficking, Shanmugham reiterated AIADMK’s longstanding warnings regarding the growing menace. He underscored that AIADMK’s Leader of Opposition in Tamil Nadu, Edappadi K. Palaniswami (EPS), had previously cautioned the government about the international connections of these drug syndicates, but to no avail.
Shanmugham further accused the DMK government of neglecting the welfare of the youth and urged Chief Minister M.K. Stalin to take decisive action against those responsible for the drug trade and dismantle the associated networks.
Prominent AIADMK leaders including D. Jayakumar, S.P. Velumani, Vijayabaskar, Sengottayian, and Sellur Raju led similar protest marches in various locations across the state, highlighting the party’s unwavering stance against the burgeoning drug crisis and demanding immediate action from the government.
