Gujarat: Rahul Gandhi, Jignesh Mevani Allege Official Complicity In Drug, Liquor Trade

Leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, has sharply criticised the Gujarat government, claiming that the state – despite its prohibition policy – has become a hub for narcotics and illicit liquor.

According to him, interactions during the Congress's ongoing Jan Aakrosh Yatra have revealed widespread anxiety among citizens, particularly women, who say their communities are being overwhelmed by drugs, bootlegging networks and rising crime.

Gandhi argued that the land of Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Patel, once known for restraint, ethics and justice, is now witnessing its youth being “dragged into a shadowy world controlled by drug syndicates”.

He further alleged that these illegal networks flourish because sections of the ruling BJP are shielding offenders, prompting women across various districts to join protests in significant numbers.

“Gujarat deserves to know why the government is silent,” he said. “Who are the BJP leaders offering protection, and why are the state's betrayers allowed to operate unchecked?”

Congress MLA for Vadgam Jignesh Mevani has recently intensified his campaign against the drug trade. At multiple public meetings, Mevani accused the state administration of “willful negligence” and claimed that drug trafficking has penetrated schools, colleges and even small towns.

He reiterated that the surge in narcotics cannot happen without “political blessings”, demanding that the government release data on seizures, arrests and pending investigations.

Mevani warned that Gujarat is “sitting on a ticking time bomb” unless accountability is enforced swiftly.

He has also targeted deputy chief minister Harsh Sanghavi. Following Mevani's allegations, there have been rallies in support of and against him.

Congress leaders held demonstrations in Tharad and Patan in solidarity with Mevani, reiterating their demand for urgent state action against the drug syndicates they say are corroding Gujarat’s social fabric. Protestors argued that Mevani’s warnings are being vindicated every day as more cases surface, and urged the government to stop “hiding behind political convenience” and confront the crisis head-on.

Two days ago, in one of his programmes, Mevani also criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi, following which a leader of the Gujarat BJP held a press conference to counter the allegations. The BJP leader alleged that as many as 27 people from the Scheduled Caste (SC) community in Mevani's constituency had faced injustice. Mevani belongs to the SC community.

Gandhi also targeted the BJP for what he described as blatant double standards in responding to the devastating floods that ravaged large parts of the state. He said that when Modi was chief minister, demands for Union government assistance were constant and forceful.

Today, despite a so-called double-engine government, not only is relief inadequate, even sympathy seems to be missing, Gandhi remarked on X.

The Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee launched the Jan Aakrosh Yatra on November 21 to bring attention to issues affecting farmers, youth, women, students, small traders and marginalised communities.

The first leg of the Yatra – covering seven districts, 40 talukas and 12 cities, spanning roughly 1,100 kilometres – began in Dhima in north Gujarat and culminated on December 3 at the Becharaji Temple in Mehsana.

Over its route, the campaign will pass through numerous towns and villages including Dhanrindhar, Tharad, Lakhni, Dhanera, Deesa, Dantiwada, Palanpur, Amirgadh, Vadgam, Jambaji, Kheroj, Khedbrahma, Wadali, Idar, Himmatnagar, Prantij, Rajendrachokdi, Shamlaji, Meghraj, Sabhamta, Malpur, Bayad, Dhansura, Dehgam, Chiloda, Gandhinagar, Mansa, Bijapur, Mehsana, Visnagar, Unjha, Kheralu, Siddhpur, Saraswati, Patan, Harij, Radhanpur, Shankheshwar and Bechraji.

This article has been republished from Vibes of India and was lightly edited.

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