EPS demands CM Stalin to break his silence over seizure of crores of worth drugs in TN

CHENNAI: Leader of Opposition and AIADMK general secretary K Palaniswami on Friday denounced the DMK regime for allegedly failing to control the drug flow into Tamil Nadu and the involvement of the former member of the ruling party in an international drug cartel.

He questioned the "silence" of Chief Minister M K Stalin over the burning issue and demanded that he had the moral responsibility to explain his stand to the people of the state.

"We learnt that 26 cases were registered against him (Jaffer Sadiq). Without checking the background of such a person was given access to CM and received a prize from DGP. He is also closely associated with CM's family. So, the CM should break his silence and speak up to the people of the state to explain his stand (on the drug network), " Palaniswami told media persons after attending the International Women's Day programme on Friday.

The CM was trying to deflect the issue by deploying a senior functionary (R S Bharathi) to speak up regarding it. It was unacceptable, he said.

A detailed probe with those who have links with him (Sadiq), he said and announced that the party would stage a human-chain demonstration in corporations and municipalities' limits on March 12 regarding the issue.

The party functionaries would also call on Governor R N Ravi regarding this issue.

When a journalist cited the report of the Narcotic Control Bureau of India (NCB) on drug seizure and pointed out that TN is far better in controlling drug flow than the BJP ruling states, Palaniswami retorted that it was not an encourage practice to compare TN with other states in controlling drug flow.

"It is a serious issue and the flow of drugs would jeopardise the future of the young generation. So, we should desist from comparing with other states and take stern measures to free the state from such menace, " he said and listed out the seizure of drugs worth thousands of crore in Madurai, Chennai and Rameswaram in the recent past.

Ended alliance with BJP for best interest of the AIADMK

"We have made it clear that our alliance with the BJP ended on September 25 last year. The decision was taken for the best interest of the party and it reflected sentiments and feelings of our cadres. We are firm on our decision, " he said while responding to a question whether the BJP national leadership was still in touch with the AIADMK to revive their alliance for the LS polls.

On surveys and media reports that BJP's vote share has increased more than the AIADMK, Palaniswami discredited such reports and said it was a cooked up numbers. He continued that there was ample example to dispel such reports and pointed out the voting percentage of the AIADMK led front in the LS polls in 2019 and assembly polls in 2021. "There was a vast difference in terms of voting percentage in the last two polls and we know our strength, " he said.