Ahmedabad, Oct 4 (PTI) Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday attacked the Congress over the Delhi drug seizure, and accused it of turning entire north India into a hotspot of illegal drug trade when it was in power before 2014.
In one of Delhi's biggest drug busts, police seized over 560 kilograms of cocaine and 40 kilograms of hydroponic marijuana estimated to be worth around Rs 5,620 crore earlier this week.
Addressing a gathering in Mansa town of Gandhinagar district, Shah said the arrested accused, Tushar Goel, is the chairman of the Delhi Youth Congress' RTI cell.
Giving data about the seizures made during the last 10 years, Shah said Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the 'Drugs Free India' campaign soon after assuming office in 2014.
"Drugs of Rs 5,600 crore were recovered in Delhi two days ago. When Congress was in power between 2004 and 2014, nearly 1.52 lakh kg drugs was seized across the country. But thanks to our anti-drug campaign, we could seize 5.43 lakh kg drugs in 10 years from 2014 to 2024," Shah said.
During the 10 years of Congress rule, drugs of Rs 768 crore were seized, while Rs 27,600 crore drugs were seized in as many years under the BJP rule from 2014, he said.
"I was wondering why there is a huge difference between the seizures done under these governments. Investigations revealed that the main accused, Tushar Goel, who has been arrested, is the president of Delhi Congress' RTI cell. Is it possible for a political party to eliminate drugs if some of its own members are engaged in the narcotics trade?" asked Shah.
Before Modi became the prime minister, Congress had made entire north India, be it Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Haryana or Delhi, a hotspot of drug trade, Shah said, adding that the Modi government took decisive steps against this trade. In Gujarat also, our BJP government seized drugs of Rs 8,500 crore in just three years.
"A party whose own members are engaged in narcotics trade can never free a state or a country from the menace of drugs. The only party capable of achieving the prime minister's goal of a drug-free India is the BJP," Shah said.
He was addressing people after laying the foundation stone for a 421-bed hospital in Mansa.
Prior to the event, Shah addressed people in Gandhinagar city after launching various developmental projects of Gandhinagar Municipal Corporation.
At the event, Shah said PM Modi came up with a holistic approach and brought an urban development policy and formulated various other policies for providing facilities to all the cities.
Thanks to the urban development policy, Gandhinagar is developing as a Smart City having all such facilities, he said.
"Prior to 2014, there was no policy or project for urban development in the country. It was PM Modi who launched numerous projects for urban development. Some of the key projects include e-Governance, Smart City Mission, CCTV network, AMRUT Mission, RERA, Metro, solar panels and electric buses," Shah said.