Drug Smuggling Was Rampant During Communist Rule In Tripura: CM Manik Saha

Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha has emphasised that the BJP government will continue to have a zero-tolerance policy against the drug menace perpetuated by decades of communist and Congress rule in the state.

He said that a "well packaging" system was present under which drugs were smuggled from Myanmar via Assam and Mizoram and cartels had turned Tripura into a "corridor" for smuggling drugs to Bangladesh.

"We never want ganja to be prepared here and be sent outside from here. From outside it used to come from Myanmar via Assam and Mizoram.... Tripura was made a corridor and it goes to Bangladesh...," Chief Minister Saha said in an exclusive interview to ANI.

The Chief Minister said "Our government has a zero-tolerance policy for drugs. Many generations have been destroyed due to it... During the Communist regime, even we were not aware that this huge quantity of Ganja was supplied in Tripura. After 2018, it came to our notice ...thousands of kilograms of drugs daily ... there was a well packaging system... We were astounded," he said.

He pointed out that the drugs that arrived in the state from Myanmar via Assam and Mizoram and drug cartels had made Tripura a "corridor" for trafficking drugs from Bangladesh and Myanmar.

"Today, we're the second-best performer in the northeast region in drug seizure and destruction with a good conviction rate, which was not seen earlier," he said.

Saha said that during the recent North Eastern Council (NEC) meeting, Union Home Minister Amit Shah gave strict instructions to not allow any cross-border smuggling.

To a question on smuggling in the border areas of the State, the chief minister said "The State shares a major part of the boundary with Bangladesh, that stretch has been fenced but still some parts or stretches are left which will be fenced soon."

"We have also given the slogan 'Nasha Mukt Tripura' and we have to fulfil it," he added.

Tripura Chief Electoral Officer, Gitte Kirankumar Dinkarrao had recently informed that contraband items including Rs 32 crore worth drugs had been seized in the poll-bound state in a span of 22 days till February 9.

"We've made drug seizures valued at around Rs 32 crores from January 18 till 9 February from 250 naka Points. This includes cash, drugs and freebies," Tripura's chief poll officer said.

On February 12, addressing a Vijay Sankalp Rally in Tripura's Sepahijala, Union Home Minister Amit Shah had claimed that under the previous governments, the state was under the heavy influence of drugs.

"The young generation was being ruined by drugs, BJP has done a lot of work against it in the five years and the remainder will be done in the next five years," he said.

Earlier, Union Home Minister Amit Shah addressing a gathering after flagging off the 'Jan Vishwas Yatra' from Sabroom in Tripura on January 5 claimed that the communists had kept Tripura as a hub of drugs and intoxication.

"The atmosphere of violence created by the communist government has ended. Communists had kept Tripura as a hub of drugs and intoxication. The doors were opened for infiltrators from Bangladesh. BJP stopped infiltration and drugs, worked to take youth towards employment," Shah had said.

The Left Parties have ruled Tripura for 35 years since 1978.

For the upcoming assembly polls slated for February 16, the Congress and Left parties have entered into an pact. Tipra Motha, chaired by Bikram Manikya Debbarma, the Tirpura royal scion, is fighting on its own and is demanding "Greater Tipraland."

The Chief Minister exuded confidence that the BJP will return to power in Tripura will a thumping majority and will secure more seats than in the 2018 Assembly elections.

While the BJP won 36 seats in the 2018 election, BJP's ally IPFT (Indigenous People's Front of Tripura) won eight seats. BJP is contesting 55 seats in this election and IPFT is contesting five seats.

(With Inputs from ANI)

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