Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday alleged that Gujarat has become a centre for drugs in the country, ANI reported.

“All drugs are moved from Mundra port,” he said at a rally in Ahmedabad. “But the government doesn’t take any action… this is the Gujarat model.”

Assembly elections in Gujarat are slated to be held in December.

Several consignments of illegal drugs have been intercepted at ports in Gujarat since last year, particularly from the Mundra port in Kutch.

In July, the Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad had seized 70 kilograms of heroin worth over Rs 350 crore from a container near the Mundra port. Shipping bills and customs filings related to the container had stated that it contained textile items.

Advertisement

In May, 52 kilograms of cocaine was seized from an import consignment at the port by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence. The drugs were estimated to be valued at over Rs 500 crore in the international illicit market.

The drug seizure had taken place over a month after the Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad and the Indian Coast Guard stopped a Pakistani boat off the Jakhau coast in the Kutch district and held nine crew members for carrying heroin worth Rs 280 crore.

Prior to that, in September, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence had seized nearly three tonnes of heroin at the Mundra port, in what was reported to be India’s biggest drug haul. The National Investigation named 16 persons – 11 Afghan nations, four Indians and an Iranian – in the case.

Want to end unemployment, says Rahul Gandhi

In Monday’s rally, Gandhi said that he was confident that the Congress party would form the next government in the state.

Advertisement

“I want to end unemployment,” he said, according to ANI. “The focus will be to give employment to 10 lakh youth in Gujarat.”

He also promised a compensation of Rs 4 lakh to the families of those who died during the Covid-19 pandemic.

“We will give free electricity to farmers and 300 units of free electricity to general consumers,” Gandhi said.