Bhopal Drug Bust: MP Congress Alleges Deputy CM’s Close Aide Involved In Racket, Questions CM Yadav And PM Modi

Madhya Pradesh Congress accuses Deputy Chief Minister Jagdish Devda of involvement in a recent massive drug haul near Bhopal, demanding his resignation.

Days after a massive drug haul from a factory near Bhopal, the Congress on Friday accused a close associate of Madhya Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Jagdish Devda of involvement in the drug trade. The party also questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi's silence on the issue. Madhya Pradesh Congress chief Jitendra Patwari alleged that Devda has links with the kingpin of the drug racket, which was recently busted by the Gujarat Police and Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) in Madhya Pradesh.

Speaking at a press conference held at the All India Congress Committee (AICC) headquarters, Patwari demanded Devda’s resignation and criticised the BJP for its inaction on the matter. According to news agency PTI, Patwari claimed, “Prime Minister Modi did not provide two crore jobs every year but created two crore drug addicts every year.”

He also referred to a report presented by the Modi government in Parliament, which, according to him, indicated that around 40 crore people in India consume drugs. Patwari further claimed that the number of drug addicts is increasing by about 2.10 crore annually.

The Congress leader expressed concern over the spread of the drug business across the country, alleging that even BJP leaders and workers are worried because their children are falling victim to drug addiction. He also targeted Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, questioning his silence on the matter. “A favourite of the deputy chief minister of Madhya Pradesh is running a drug racket in the state, so why is Chief Minister Mohan Yadav silent?” Patwari asked.

Madhya Pradesh Congress Rejects BJP's 'Coincidence' Claim

Referring to the alleged relationship between Devda and the drug racket’s kingpin, Patwari rejected the BJP’s defence that photographs of the two together were mere coincidences. “It was not about just one or two or three pictures, at least 500 photographs and videos of the kingpin with the deputy chief minister were available on social media and that cannot be a mere coincidence,” he stated, as quoted by PTI. 

Patwari urged Prime Minister Modi to take immediate action and sack Devda, warning that failure to do so would raise questions about the BJP and the central government’s intentions.

Abhay Dubey, Madhya Pradesh Congress Committee’s media vice chairman, highlighted the severity of the drug issue, pointing out that the BJP MLA from Mauganj had written a letter to the Inspector General of the Rewa Range to stop the growing drug trade in his area. He alleged that drugs are now easily available across Madhya Pradesh, including in the capital Bhopal.

These remarks came after authorities seized 907.09 kg of mephedrone (MD) drug, valued at Rs 1,814 crore, along with raw materials from a factory on the outskirts of Bhopal. The raid was conducted jointly by the Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) and the NCB at the Bagroda industrial estate near Bhopal last Saturday. The factory was reportedly the largest illegal unit ever busted by the Gujarat ATS, with a capacity to manufacture 25 kg of the MD drug per day.