Bengaluru, Jan 31 (IANS) The Karnataka unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party on Saturday targeted the Congress-led government after the Narcotics Control Bureau busted a drug manufacturing unit in Mysuru, the home district of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.

The party alleged that the government had failed to curb drug trafficking and was endangering the future of the youth.

Leader of the Opposition R. Ashoka warned that the BJP would launch a statewide agitation if the government did not act decisively.

“If this drug racket, which is destroying the future of the youth, is not taken with utmost seriousness and if strict and immediate measures are not initiated, we will be forced to intensify our agitation against the government,” he said.

Ashoka alleged that drug trafficking was continuing unchecked in the state. He said the Home Minister’s response in the Belagavi Assembly session had reflected a lack of seriousness.

“When the issue was raised, the Home Minister casually remarked that drug trafficking exists in all states,” he said.

Questioning the role of the state police and intelligence agencies, Ashoka said, “The Karnataka Police, once known for its efficiency, has been weakened by the incompetence of the Congress government. If agencies from outside the state have to detect drug operations here, what are the state police and intelligence units doing?”

The criticism followed an announcement by the NCB that it had dismantled a major inter-state drug trafficking syndicate and busted a clandestine drug manufacturing laboratory in Mysuru. Siddaramaiah hails from the district.

According to the NCB, drugs worth about Rs 10 crore in the street market were seized along with Rs 25.6 lakh in cash, a Toyota Fortuner and more than 500 kg of chemicals. The unit located in the Hebbal Industrial Area of Mysuru has been sealed for forensic examination.

The NCB said the operation was carried out in line with the Centre’s campaign for a drug-free India and under the directions of the Union Home Ministry.

–IANS

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