Thiruvananthapuram (Keralam) [India], September 1 (ANI): Keralam's Leader of Opposition Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday issued a stinging rebuttal to State Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala's criticisms regarding the state's anti-drug operations, citing the LDF government's "exemplary" record and high conviction rates.
In a post on social media platform Facebook, Vijayan dismissed Chennithala's allegation that the government failed to seize even 500 grams of MDMA in 10 years.
"I saw Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala's statement that 'after ruling for 10 years, they could not even seize 500 grams of MDMA.' At the very least, if he had asked Telangana Chief Minister and Congress leader Revanth Reddy, he could have understood the LDF government's efforts against drug trafficking. In July 2024, while tracing the source of 2.4 kg of MDMA seized in Thrissur, the Kerala Police identified and shut down an international drug manufacturing laboratory run by a film producer in Kukatpally, Hyderabad. Chemicals were also seized with the assistance of forensic experts. What Revanth Reddy's government could not do in the state it governs was accomplished there by the Kerala Police," CM Vijayan stated.
The Keralam LoP cited Union Government data to support his claims, noting that Keralam has taken the strongest action against narcotics in the country.
"Central government records submitted in Parliament themselves show that the LDF government's anti-drug activities were exemplary. According to a reply given by the Union Finance Minister in the Lok Sabha on February 3, 2025, Kerala had taken the strongest action against drugs since 2022. Kerala recorded three times as many arrests in drug cases as the state with the second-highest number of arrests. Although Kerala has a relatively low level of drug use, these figures show that the state's efforts to prevent the spread of drugs can serve as a model for the country. According to a reply given by the Central Government in the Rajya Sabha on December 22, 2022, Kerala's conviction rate in NDPS cases was over 98 per cent. At the time, the national average was 78 per cent, while Telangana's conviction rate was only 25 per cent," Vijayan added.
Highlighting the scale of operations, Vijayan informed, "Between 2021 and 2025, the Kerala Police registered 1,26,855 NDPS cases. Strict surveillance and strong interventions such as Operation D-Hunt resulted in a 538 per cent increase in case registrations. According to a reply given by Excise Minister M. Liju to MLA U.R. Pradeep's question on June 23, 2026, the Excise Department registered 41,946 NDPS cases and 4,18,403 COTPA cases in Kerala over the past five years. The minister also provided figures showing that during this period, the Excise Department seized 17,587.4335 kg of cannabis, 33,419.996 grams of MDMA, 65,943.8254 grams of hashish and 1,60,597.093 kg of COTPA products."
Vijayan claimed that the Kerala Excise Department's seizure of 80 kg of MDMA from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in 2023, the seizure of 5 kg of MDMA in Kochi in 2018, and the major drug seizures made by the Excise Department, including those under Operation D-Hunt between 2022 and 2025, demonstrate the strong interventions of the LDF government.
"It is these exemplary achievements that the present Home Minister is cheaply criticising," he said.
CM Vijayan also addressed the Opposition's allegations regarding the "Operation Toofan" campaign and a high-profile case involving a social media coordinator in Kasaragod.
"The Opposition has never opposed Operation Toofan or the drug crackdown. We have extended our full support. What we questioned was the alleged high-level attempt to sabotage the international MDMA case in which the Chief Minister's social media coordinator is an accused. In the Kasaragod case, there was pressure on the police to stop the collection of scientific evidence. The police were not prepared to produce the phones seized from the accused before the court or take them to Bengaluru for forensic examination. Those who allegedly sabotaged the investigation when their own people were caught are now creating a major PR campaign in the name of 'Operation Toofan'. When we expose this hypocrisy, the Home Department and the minister are trying to portray it as opposition to the drug crackdown and evade the real issue," he said.
"This makes clear the pressure being exerted by the Chief Minister's Office on the Home Department in the Kasaragod case and the minister's helplessness in the matter," Vijayan added.
Taking a jibe, Vijayan concluded his post saying, "I hope the former Home Minister will verify the facts and speak with a sense of responsibility." (ANI)
Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan defends LDF's anti-drug record; hits back at Ramesh Chennithala over "500g MDMA" remark
