Will not allow Karnataka to become Udta Punjab, says state home minister

65 Indian and 23 foreign nationals have been arrested in connection with drug-trafficking cases in the past two-and-a-half months in Karnataka.

Asserting that his government had taken stringent steps to check drug menace, Karnataka home minister G Parameshwara said “Udta Punjab” will not happen in the state after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) raised the issue in the legislative council.

65 Indian and 23 foreign nationals have been arrested in connection with drug-trafficking cases in the past two-and-a-half months in Karnataka. (HT photo for representation)

Udta Punjab is the name of a Hindi film which highlights drug abuse by the youth in Punjab.

“A special drive has been launched to curb drug menace in the state, especially Bengaluru and Mangaluru. We will not allow Bengaluru to go the Punjab way. Udta Punjab will not happen here,” he said.

The minister was replying to BJP MLC Lahar Singh in the legislative council on Thursday.

Raising the issue in the House, Singh rapped the government for its “inaction” to curb the drug menace in the state.

Parameshwara said the government had taken the matter seriously and directed the police to take stringent action against drug peddlers. “It has come to the notice of the police that petty shops near colleges indulge in peddling,” he said.

Parameshewara said 65 Indian and 23 foreign nationals had been arrested in connection with drug-trafficking cases in the past two-and-a-half months.

The minister also said there were 1,023 foreign nationals overstaying in the state.”We have been in touch with the external affairs ministry, and around 59 of overstaying foreign nationals have been deported,” he said.

About the recent mysterious death of a Nigerian national, who overstayed his visa, here, Parameshwara said he was a drug trafficker and had died in a road mishap.

“Nobody has claimed his body despite the Nigerian High Commission being informed. Right steps will be taken to dispose of the body after getting court orders,” he said.

BJP’s Capt Ganesh Karnik said steps should be taken to destroy the entire drug network instead of merely arresting traffickers.