Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 11 (PTI) The CPI(M) on Tuesday alleged that Chief Minister V D Satheesan’s office was controlling the drug mafia as youths close to him were arrested in a narcotics case, with the Congress hitting back that it was the previous Left government which allowed the narcotics network to grow in Kerala.
CPI(M) state secretary M V Govindan said that news reports of the arrest of the CM’s social media coordinator in a drug case was “shocking”.
Govindan, at a press conference here said that according to reports, those arrested were prominent leaders of the Youth Congress, the youth wing of the grand old party, and were close to Satheesan.
“So, those engaged in promoting anti-drug operations were also carrying out drug trafficking,” he alleged.
He also took a dig at state Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala, saying he should first implement his anti-drug drive — Operation Toofan — within his own party.
He also contended that the CM should respond to allegations that his office is becoming the hub of drug trafficking.
Govindan further claimed that the CM was trying to direct Meta, which operates social media platforms like Facebook, to remove posts criticising him.
“He is adopting the same path as Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” the CPI(M) state secretary alleged.
Earlier in the day, CPI(M) MLA V K Sanoj alleged that those arrested by the police included a person who claimed to be the social media coordinator of Satheesan and was the admin of a social media group called “leader V D Satheesan”.
Sanoj also claimed, in a Facebook post, that there are videos of the arrested-accused with the CM.
Refuting the allegations, state Sports Minister O J Janeesh contended that the person shown in the photographs being circulated on social media and news reports was not an office bearer or leader of the Youth Congress as being claimed by some.
He also said that if any worker or member or leader of the Youth Congress were in any way connected to drug trafficking, they would not be part of the organisation any longer.
“We will not protect them as the DYFI did in the past by using the state machinery,” he told while speaking to reporters.
The Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) is the youth wing of the CPI(M).
The minister also hit back at the Left front, alleging that during the last nine of their 10-year rule, a free hand or “unauthorised licence” was given to drug trafficking in the state as there was no sustained government intervention against it.
He claimed that the youngsters being arrested now in drug cases are actually the “victims” of the previous government’s lack of intervention in the matter.
Janeesh also claimed that only drug users or addicts were arrested by the previous governments and not the carriers of the narcotic substances.
“It is only now, under Operation Toofan, that drug carriers, including some teachers, were arrested. These teachers were carrying out drug sales even back then,” he contended.
In his Facebook post, Sanoj also alleged that another of the arrested accused has shared photographs of him sitting in the CM’s office and questioned whether they were sent to disrupt Operation Toofan that was started by Chennithala.
The Marxist party MLA also questioned how Satheesan was unaware of the activities of someone working so close with him and who was allegedly involved in drug trafficking in some districts even before their arrest.
“This should not be treated as a mere drug case. Instead, the network of the drug mafia being controlled by the CM’s office should be brought out,” Sanoj contended. PTI HMP SA
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