Senior Congress leader and Leader of the Opposition in the Kerala Assembly VD Satheesan on Saturday accused the CPI-M-led LDF government in Kerala of failing to curb the unprecedented flow of highly dangerous narcotic substances in the state due to which Kerala has become a hub of drugs. He alleged that the drug mafia has been let loose in Kerala due to political patronage.

Speaking to media persons in Kochi on Saturday, Satheesan said the Pinarayi Vijayan government has utterly failed in cracking down on the drug mafia that has spread its tentacles rapidly across the state. “Drug gangs are roaming in campuses and schools. The murder of a student in Kozhikode is shocking. The government and its agencies, including the Excise Department and the police, have not yet been able to identify the source of highly dangerous narcotic substances being dumped into the state,” he said.

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He said the rampant cases of drug abuse and related crimes have triggered panic in society. “Parents sending children to schools and colleges live in fear. Kerala has gone to such an extent that parents are scared over the widespread use of drugs in the campuses and schools,” he said.

Stating that the government does not have a system to trace the drug trail, the Congress leader asked, “What’s the use of police and excise if they can’t contain the drug menace?”

He alleged that the drug mafia in the state is enjoying political patronage. “In places like Alappuzha and Kollam, drug mafias are getting help from local politicians. That’s why the government hesitates to act. I say this with responsibility,” Satheesan said.

Satheesan said that in colleges where SFI, the student wing of the CPI-M, has dominance, they are becoming drug agents. They have been accused in many drug-related cases, he added.

Taking a jibe at state Excise Minister M B Rajesh for his comment that ganja consumption has reduced in the state, Satheesan said, “The minister is right. Now, more people have turned to synthetic drugs.”

Meanwhile, the BJP has written to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, seeking Central intervention to crack down on the drug mafia in Kerala. BJP Central Region President N Hari has sent a letter to the Union Home Minister, demanding an investigation by Central agencies to trace the source of the drug mafia. The letter states that Kerala is falling into the clutches of the drug mafia, citing recent incidents.