Drugs entering through Guj port smuggled to Punjab and other states: Kejriwal in Ahmedabad

Ahmedabad, Sep 11: Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday alleged drugs are entering Gujarat in large quantities through a port and being smuggled to Punjab and other parts of the country.

He questioned the "failure" of the administration to stop the transport of drugs and said the people suspect that the administration at the top is complicit. "Several incidents in the recent past show that large quantities of drugs are entering through a Gujarat port. From here, the drugs go to Punjab and other parts of the country. Why is this happening? Apparently, somewhere the administration is involved at the top," Kejriwal told reporters when asked about the incidents of seizure of drugs in Gujarat.

He didn't take the name of any particular port. Kejriwal reached Ahmedabad on Sunday evening for a two-day visit to the city beginning Monday during which he will attend various public programmes and meetings with Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders.

He will also interact with auto-rickshaw drivers, sanitation workers, traders and lawyers in different town hall meetings. Launching a fresh attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in Gujarat, where elections are due in December this year, the AAP national convener said nobody is ready to believe that the administration is unable to stop drugs that are entering ports in the state in large quantities.

"Nobody is ready to believe this. People are apparently suspicious about the involvement of the administration at the top. "From Gujarat, these drugs spread across the country. Youth from across the country are consuming them. The youth of Gujarat consume them. Drugs also go to Punjab and other parts of the country. This should stop. People are very angry why this is not being stopped," Kejriwal told reporters at Ahmedabad airport.

Kejriwal said his next "guarantee" to the people of Gujarat will be to provide a "corruption-free" government. Earlier in the day, the BJP in Delhi alleged that Kejriwal and corruption have become synonymous and said he has no right to remain in the post.

"No minister, MLA, or the chief minister of AAP will indulge in corruption (if the party is voted to power). A lot of money will be saved when the administration is clean. Every single money will be spent on the public. The money that is looted and transferred to Swiss banks will be spent on the public. Our next guarantee will be to provide corruption-free governance," Kejriwal said.

He is scheduled to participate in three town hall programmes for auto-rickshaw drivers, businessmen, and advocates in Ahmedabad on Monday. Kejriwal will hold discussions with local AAP leaders and workers, and welcome new members to the party in Ahmedabad on Tuesday, the party said.

"Kejriwal will announce an important guarantee to the people of Gujarat. After the announcement of the guarantee, he will participate in the town hall programme organised for the sanitation workers before leaving for Delhi," the AAP said in a statement.

During his multiple visits to Gujarat in the recent past, Kejriwal had announced a slew of "guarantees", including allowances for women and unemployed youth, free and quality healthcare and education, creation of jobs, and free electricity up to 300 units.

Earlier, the BJP government had drawn flak over the seizure of drugs in Gujarat. The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) had last year seized 2,988.21 kg heroin worth Rs 15,000 crore from two containers at a prominent port in the Kutch district.

In July this year, the state Anti-Terrorist Squad seized 70 kg of heroin estimated to be worth over Rs 350 crore from a container near the Mundra port in the Kutch district. In May this year, the DRI seized 56 kg of cocaine, estimated to be worth around Rs 500 crore, from a container near the Mundra port.

In April, the DRI seized 205.6 kg of heroin worth Rs 1,439 crore from a container near the Kandla port in Kutch. Around the same period, the Gujarat ATS and DRI in a joint operation recovered nearly 90 kg of heroin worth Rs 450 crore from a shipping container which arrived from Iran at the Pipavav port in Amreli district.