Jairam Thakur Alleges Govt Shielding Drug Mafia, Leads Walkout in Himachal Assembly

Shimla
Leader of Opposition Jairam Thakur on Friday accused the state government of shielding drug mafias and indulging in surveillance of opposition leaders, triggering a stormy scene in the Himachal Pradesh Assembly and a walkout by BJP MLAs.

The uproar erupted during Zero Hour when the opposition raised concerns over the rising drug menace in the state and alleged involvement of police personnel. Dissatisfied with the response of Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, BJP legislators staged protests inside the House before walking out.

‘Police involved in drug trade’

Addressing reporters later, Thakur alleged that the law and order situation in the state had deteriorated sharply and claimed that drug mafias were operating with government protection.

“It is extremely concerning that personnel deployed to curb drug trafficking are themselves found involved in such activities,” he said, adding that four members of a Special Task Force had allegedly been caught trafficking drugs like LSD.

“When protectors turn predators, who will save the youth?” Thakur asked, raising questions over the government’s handling of the issue.

Govt accused of ‘insensitivity’

The former chief minister also accused the government of being insensitive, claiming that the chief minister and senior officials appeared to take the issue lightly when it was raised in the Assembly.

He alleged that drug abuse had spread from urban centres to rural areas during the current government’s tenure and that authorities were focusing more on publicity-driven campaigns than on concrete action.

Criticism of anti-drug campaigns

Thakur criticised the government’s anti-drug initiatives, terming them “event management”.

“School children are being made to stand for hours in the sun for cultural programmes. Will such activities stop drug abuse?” he said.

He also claimed that cases of overdose deaths among youth were rising, while the government remained focused on publicity.

Allegations of phone tapping

In a separate charge, Thakur alleged that the police were being used to monitor opposition leaders instead of cracking down on drug networks.

“Police officers are tracking the location of MLAs and tapping their phones to please the leadership,” he said, adding that such actions require due legal approval but were allegedly being carried out arbitrarily.

He also linked the alleged surveillance to political developments, including the Rajya Sabha elections.

Warning of agitation

Thakur warned that the state was facing a dual crisis—economic stress and the growing drug problem affecting the youth.

He said the BJP would launch protests if the government failed to take strict action against drug traffickers and address concerns regarding policing.