A Kerala anti-drug activist's Facebook post went viral on Thursday after his son was arrested by police for allegedly possessing a small quantity of a banned synthetic substance.
The activist, Vishnupuram Chandrasekharan, is the chairman of Vaikunda Swami Dharma Pracharana Sabha (VSDPS), which represents the Nadar community in Kerala. He is also the office bearer of the BJP-led NDA, PTI reported.
His elder son was arrested with two others for allegedly possessing approximately 0.11 grams of MDMA on Tuesday. All three were booked under the relevant provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, and later released on station bail.
Chandrasekharan, in a Facebook post, said that he would not try to protect his son, “although the drugs were seized from one of his friends.”
“Even if it is my son, a wrong is a wrong. If he has committed a crime, he must be punished. Those who eat salt must drink water. Therefore, there has been no intervention in this matter, and there will be none in the future,” he said.
The activist also asserted that the police did not deliberately trap his son in the case. “They only did their job,” he said.
“My son has promised that he will not use drugs anymore and will fight against them. He admitted to using drugs for the last six months. I never suspected it,” he added.
Vowing to continue his fight against banned substances, Chandrasekharan further asserted that this was the first time he is facing such incident in his public life.
{{/usCountry}}Vowing to continue his fight against banned substances, Chandrasekharan further asserted that this was the first time he is facing such incident in his public life.
{{/usCountry}}“Therefore, let the police take their course. Today, such an experience happened in my own family. Tomorrow, it could happen to someone else,” he said.
Chandrasekharan urged the people of Kerala to take care of their children amid, what he claimed, as growing substance abuse in the state. “Monitoring their activities and friendships was difficult,” he said, while warning that “devils are spreading their nets, targeting children.”
“Once addicted, they become trapped. They (kids) do not realise what they are doing once the intoxicants spread through their veins,” he said in his post, urging the Excise and police departments to remain highly vigilant.