On February 25, Tamil Nadu’s ruling DMK general secretary Duraimurugan issued a short note announcing the immediate expulsion of Jaffer Sadiq, who held the post of deputy organiser of the DMK’s NRI wing for Chennai-West. Mr. Duraimurugan urged cadres not to have any truck with Mr. Sadiq, who is also a film producer, who had “brought disrepute” to the party.
A day earlier, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) along with the Delhi Police Special Cell had busted Mr. Sadiq’s alleged links with an international drug cartel. The party clearly foresaw the potential damage that Mr. Sadiq’s continued association with the DMK could cause in an election season. It did not help that videos and photos of Mr. Sadiq with Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, his minister-son Udhayanidhi Stalin, and Director General of Police (DGP) Shankar Jiwal emerged. While this does not establish any direct complicity on the part of the top leadership and the DGP, it has left the government and the ruling party red-faced.
The pace at which events related to the case have since unfolded will reinforce the DMK’s fears. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has converted this into a key issue in the Lok Sabha polls. “Today, I want to speak about a serious issue and share my concern. I want every father and mother in Tamil Nadu to understand my concern about the future of your children... In Tamil Nadu, in the name of rave parties, drugs are distributed. It is worrying... If you strengthen the BJP, action will be taken against Tamil Nadu’s enemies. This is Modi’s guarantee,” he declared at a campaign in Chennai.
