Jaffer Sadiq arrest: Palaniswami meets TN Governor, seeks probe into links DMK; ‘Drug Marketing Kazhagam’, says BJP

The BJP on Sunday demanded that party chief and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin explain his relationship with the accused. The saffron party charged that the arrest shows that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) has now become “Drug Marketing Kazhagam”.

Also Read: NCB arrests ex-DMK leader in international drug trafficking case

Sadiq ‘gave money’ to DMK office-bearers

Quoting from a press conference by an NCB official, former chief minister Palaniswami alleged that Sadiq had financed film production and invested in the hospitality industry from proceeds of the illegal drug trade.

Palaniswami insinuated that Sadiq ‘gave money’ to DMK office-bearers and also donated to a ‘trust’ linked to a ruling party leader. He also referred to allegations that “Sadiq financed a film that was directed by a prominent person of a DMK family”.

The AIADMK general secretary further pointed to Sadiq’s alleged links with the police, saying the city police had given Sadiq a ‘certificate’ commending him for providing CCTV cameras to areas under the city commissionerate.

When Sadiq came under the NCB’s gaze, police removed the cameras he donated and replaced them with new devices.

‘Punishment for the culprits’

The AIADMK delegation requested Governor Ravi to take appropriate action to ensure a thorough investigation by authorities into Sadiq’s alleged “links to the DMK and the police”, Palaniswami said. This is necessary to ensure “punishment for the culprits” and to make sure that there is absolutely no availability of drugs in the state.

“People expect Chief Minister MK Stalin and his son Udhayanidhi Stalin to tender their resignations, taking moral responsibility for Sadiq’s alleged links to the DMK,” the AIADMK leader further said.

The party has also made a representation to the governor on the drug menace in the state – an issue that has been brought to Ravi’s notice by the AIADMK on several occasions, he added.

If the drug menace in the state continues unabated, Tamil Nadu will be “very seriously affected”, the AIADMK chief said. “Due to the slackness of the DMK regime and considering that no proper action was taken by it, drug availability has increased,” he alleged.

Accuses CM’s family of association

Reacting to the development, BJP Mahila Morcha chief Vanathi Srinivasan targeted Stalin and alleged that “it seems” the Tamil Nadu chief minister’s family members are closely associated with the accused.

“Kiruthiga Udhayanidhi, daughter-in-law of Chief Minister MK Stalin has directed a film produced by Jaffer Sadiq. All his social media posts show how close he was with Tamil Nadu sports minister (Udayanidhi Stalin), son of MK Stalin,” she told a press conference at the BJP headquarters in Chennai.

“Some of the ruling party (DMK) ministers seem to be very close to Jaffer,” she alleged and demanded that Stalin explain his relationship with the alleged “mastermind” of a trans-national pseudoephedrine smuggling racket.

“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 ruling party (DMK), he developed a very strong network with the police. In one picture, DGP is seen presenting some kind of award to this accused,” Srinivasan said.

After Jaffer Sadiq’s, NCB deputy director general (operations) Gyaneshwar Singh told reporters here that Sadiq’s linkages with the Tamil and Hindi film industries and some “high-profile” people apart from some instances of “political funding” were under the scanner of the agency.

Also Read: ED searches premises of ‘lottery king’ Santiago Martin’s kin, others in TN

‘Drug Marketing Kazhagam’

Addressing the press conference, BJP leader Tom Vadakkan said that with Sadiq’s arrest in connection with an international drug peddling racket, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) has now become “Drug Marketing Kazhagam”.

“Stalin and company have reduced the DMK government (in Tamil Nadu) into a drug marketing Kazhagam,” he charged.

Vaddakan also trained guns at the opposition parties’ INDIA bloc and asked Congress leader Rahul Gandhi if drug trafficking is acceptable to him.

“Is this the kind of alignment you are trying to bring in Tamil Nadu?” he further asked Gandhi.

He said illegal drugs trafficking is against the national interest and only Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah who can firmly deal with the menace.

He appealed to the people to “give them another chance” by voting for the BJP in the upcoming Lok Sabha Sabha polls to see drug peddlers in jail.

Sadiq was arrested in Delhi on the basis of specific intelligence inputs and he is the “mastermind and kingpin” of a trans-national pseudoephedrine smuggling racket spread across Australia, New Zealand and Malaysia from India, the NCB deputy director general (operations) said on Saturday.

Sources told PTI that a high-profile DMK leader could soon be summoned by the NCB for questioning with regard to some monetary transactions worth a few lakh rupees.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) will soon register a money laundering case to probe this racket by taking cognisance of this NCB case, the agency sources said.

(With PTI inputs)