AIADMK general secretary and Leader of Opposition Edappadi K. Palaniswami on Sunday, March 10, 2024 met Tamil Nadu Governor R.N. Ravi and presented a representation flagging the issue of drug trafficking in the State and sought for an independent enquiry into the political links of Jaffer Sadiq, who has been arrested by the Narcotics Control Bureau and identified as the kingpin of an international drug cartel.
The accused was expelled from the DMK in which he was an office bearer of the party’s NRI wing Chennai West district unit.
“We call upon you, as the Constitutional Head of the State, to take all steps that is possible including but not limited to taking necessary steps to address the complete breakdown of the Constitutional machinery in the state,” the AIADMK representation said.
As the principal opposition party, AIADMK has been making several representations on the issue, it said.
“We have been informing you as to how bad the drug trafficking is in the State and how the drug abuse has led to serious deterioration of law and order situation in the State,” it said. The party alleged that the lethargy and negligence with which the issue has been handled by the state government stems from the fact that the important functionaries of the ruling party are directly connected with the issue.
If only necessary attention had been paid by the ruling State government, these issues would have been well addressed and the present crisis would have been averted, the representation alleged.
“The DMK may today claim that they have suspended Jaffer Sadiq from the party, but the fact remains that he has used his association with the DMK party, its leaders and the family of the Chief Minister to administer an international drug cartel out of Chennai,” the AIADMK claimed.
“A functionary of the ruling party is not only a member of the drug cartel but is being wanted as the mastermind of the cartel’s business itself,” the party said adding he was also a named criminal in a 2019 case for trafficking drugs into Malaysia. The DMK party has had association with such an established criminal, the representation alleged.
Citing media reports it said the drug mafia money is being laundered into politics as well as movie businesses. Given the fact that there is a possibility that DMK, the Chief Minister and his family could be a direct beneficiary of the finances of this suspected drug cartel, it is necessary an independent enquiry is conducted into this entire saga, the AIADMK said.
It urged the Governor to direct for an independent enquiry into the involvement of the police officers including the DGP into these issues and also call for a thorough probe into what it claimed as “movement of finances” by Mr. Jaffer Sadiq into the DMK party and the family businesses of Chief Minister and the Minister, Mr. Udhayanidhi Stalin.
It wanted an independent and transparent enquiry into the entire nexus and the resultant activities, besides calling for report on the financial transactions.
The AIADMK urged the Governor to report to the President about the what it believed to be a “complete breakdown of the Constitutional machinery of the State”.
After meeting the Governor, Mr. Palaniswami told journalists that people are expecting Mr. Stalin and Mr. Udhayanidhi Stalin to resign.
“The increase of availability of drugs would destroy Tamil Nadu and the issue should not be taken lightly. The functioning of the police and State government is suspicious and a full fledged enquiry is necessary,” he said.
Meanwhile, the BJP demanded an explanation from Chief minister M.K. Stalin on his party’s relationship with its former functionary who was arrested in connection with the drug racket. The arrest showed that the DMK had now become ‘Drug Marketing’ Kazhagam, it said.
Taking a jibe at Mr. Stalin, BJP MLA Vanathi Srinivasan claimed that the Chief Minister’s family members were closely associated with the accused. “Kiruthiga Udhayanidhi, daughter-in-law of Mr. Stalin, has directed a film produced by Jaffer Sadiq. All his social media posts show how close he was with Tamil Nadu Sports Minister (Udhayanidhi Stalin),” she said at a presser held in New Delhi.
“We believe that Jaffer Sadiq used all his political connections in illicit drug trafficking in various countries. It seems that while being an office-bearer of the DMK, he developed a strong network with the police. In one picture, the DGP is seen presenting some kind of award to this accused,” Ms. Srinivasan said.
Addressing the press conference, BJP leader Tom Vadakkan said: “Mr. Stalin and company have reduced the DMK government to a mere drug marketing Kazhagam...”
