Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Friday (October 20) accused Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis of “shielding” the drug mafia in the state while referring to the recent seizure of mephedrone worth Rs 300 crore by the Mumbai Police.
The UBT leader joined a march in Nashik to protest against the growing menace of drugs in Maharashtra.
“Fadnavis knows everything about the opposition. How come he doesn’t know about the drug mafia? He is shielding the drug mafia and those who are taking ‘haftas’ (protection money)’,” he said told reporters.
Calling Lalit Patil, a main accused who was arrested in the Rs 300-crore mephedrone seizure case, the tip of the iceberg, Raut said, “In fact, the friends of drug mafias are sitting in the assembly. It’s the plight of Maharashtra that we have such a home minister (Fadnavis)”.
Lalit Patil arrested
A war of words has broken out between the ruling side and the Opposition after the arrest of Lalit Patil in the state.
Soon after the news of Patil’s arrest came to the fore on Wednesday, Fadnavis said that a “major revelation will soon come out”.
Raut further alleged that MLAs and ministers take ‘haftas’.
“An MLA takes Rs 16 lakh hafta from the drug racket and there are six such MLAs,” he said.
He said that his party organised the event in Nashik to raise awareness regarding drug abuse and claimed that there were efforts made to discourage students and parents.
“We appealed to students and parents to participate in today’s morcha. However, the education officer issued an order saying that students should not participate in the morcha. Does the education department support drugs,” he asked.
Drug seizure
The Sakinaka Police in Mumbai had on October 6 said that it had seized 151 kg of mephedrone worth Rs 300 crore and arrested several persons from different cities during a two-month-long operation.
A drug manufacturing unit located in Nashik district was also busted during the probe.
According to the police, Patil is a key player in the racket.
Patil had escaped from Pune's Sassoon General Hospital on October 2, and was arrested near Bengaluru on Tuesday night.
(With PTI inputs)
