MP has become drug capital, says Congress, demands CM's resignation

In a sharp attack following multiple drug busts in Madhya Pradesh, the Congress on Monday alleged that the state has become a "drug capital" under BJP rule.

The party pointed fingers at senior BJP leaders, accusing them of having links to drug-related activities, and demanded chief minister Mohan Yadav’s resignation.

The controversy erupted after Harish Anjana, one of the three suspects arrested in connection with a major drug bust, was found to have ties to Madhya Pradesh deputy chief minister Jagdish Devda.

A photograph of Anjana with the deputy CM circulated widely on social media, intensifying the scandal.

Addressing a press conference in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh Congress president Jitu Patwari accused the state administration of turning a blind eye to the flourishing drug trade.

"Drugs were being manufactured in Bhopal for months, and yet the Madhya Pradesh Police had no clue. How can this happen unless there is complicity?" Patwari asked, demanding immediate accountability from the BJP government.

Senior Congress leader and former MP chief minister Digvijaya Singh further escalated the attack, accusing BJP leaders of profiting from the illicit drug trade. "In the last 20 years, the BJP government and the police have benefitted. Can you find out how much money has reached BJP and RSS in the name of the party?" Singh questioned, suggesting widespread corruption within the ruling establishment. He also mocked the police for their apparent ignorance about a drug factory operating within the state capital.

Congress leader Arun Yadav also called on the deputy CM to clarify his association with Anjana. "The photographs of Harish Anjana with deputy CM Devda raise serious concerns. Devda must come forward and explain," Yadav said.

The arrests came after a massive raid conducted by the Gujarat anti-terrorist squad (ATS) and Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) at a factory in Bhopal’s Bagroda industrial estate. Authorities seized over Rs 1,800 crore worth of mephedrone (MD), a designer drug, and arrested two other suspects, Amit Prakashchandra Chaturvedi and Sanyal Bane.

The factory had been posing as a legitimate manufacturing unit, while it was allegedly engaged in the illegal production of MD.

The Congress also accused the BJP of shielding criminals, with Patwari stating, “The drug trade in Madhya Pradesh is thriving with the tacit support of the police and government. The BJP must answer for this."

In response, state BJP chief V.D. Sharma dismissed the Congress allegations as baseless, accusing the Opposition party of trying to malign the Madhya Pradesh government.

"The Congress needs to introspect before making such wild accusations. The person whose photograph is being circulated has no connection with the BJP," Sharma said, adding that the Congress was attempting to "demoralise" the state police.