HomePolitics NewsAmit Shah lays foundation stone for Samriddhi Soudha in Bengaluru ahead of Karnataka polls

Amit Shah lays foundation stone for Samriddhi Soudha in Bengaluru ahead of Karnataka polls

Prior to the conference, Shah met Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa and his son Vijayendra Yeddyurappa. The meeting holds significance with many political experts calling the move a "soft signal" to Vijayendra's possible entrance into the Karnataka Election 2023.

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By CNBCTV18.com March 24, 2023, 4:08:48 PM IST (Updated)

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Amit Shah lays foundation stone for Samriddhi Soudha in Bengaluru ahead of Karnataka polls
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday visited the cities of Bengaluru and Kommaghatta for a drug conference and to inaugurate development projects by the state Cooperative Ministry ahead of assembly polls in Karnataka this year. The BJP leader is likely to address a campaign rally too before travelling to Chhattisgarh.


Ahead of the minister's visit, the Bengaluru Police issued a traffic advisory, recommending residents avoid certain roads to prevent congestion.

Conference on drug trafficking and national security

The BJP leader oversaw the destruction of 9,298 kgs of seized drugs valued at Rs 1,235 crore at the Regional Conference on Drug Trafficking and National Security hosted by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) in Bengaluru.

Speaking at the conference, Shah said that security in the ocean needs to be strengthened as most narcotic drugs are being shipped from Pakistan and go via Iran to Sri Lanka and Africa.

He added a caveat that drug control is not the Centre's fight but of the states, societies and citizens.

"We need to have a top-to-bottom and bottom-to-top approach sparing none who are involved in drug trafficking," Shah said.

The conference was attended by five southern states and three Union Territories including Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai was also present.

Despite strong provisions in the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, India is not implementing them effectively, Shah alleged.

"Please review it and find out how many properties of drug dealers have been confiscated, and how many of them have been jailed using these laws," he urged the states.

He added that the detention of culprits was being taken very lightly and the administration was not "stern" enough.

"We should not take drug cases in isolation. We have to deal with it sensitively. You have to fight collectively through detection of drugs, destruction of networks, detention of culprits and rehabilitation of those addicted," Shah said.

Tweeting about the conference, Shah said that the Ministry of Home Affairs was committed to realising Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of a drug-free India and its zero-tolerance policy.

ALSO READ | Explained: What is causing the growing drug menace in India

Modi on June 1, 2022, had set a target of destroying 75,000 kgs of narcotics within 75 days, but India has already crossed that threshold having destroyed 5,94,620 kgs of seized drugs worth Rs 8,409 crore, the Press Information Bureau reports.

Prior to the conference, Shah met Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa and his son Vijayendra Yeddyurappa. The meeting holds significance with many political experts calling the move a "soft signal" to Vijayendra's possible entrance into the Karnataka Election 2023.

Vijayendra has been a prominent figure in the BJP's leadership in Karnataka and currently serves as the state vice president for the saffron party.



Inauguration of Sahakar Samriddhi Soudha and Cooperative Ministry projects

Shah, who also holds the cooperation portfolio, visited Kommaghatta village on the outskirts of Bengaluru where he will lay the foundation stone of the "Sahakara Samruddhi Soudha." He also inaugurated various other programmes related to the ministry of cooperation.

Shah was received at the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited Airport in Bengaluru on Thursday night by Bommai.

ALSO READ | Karnataka election 2023: Yediyurappa assures of Lingayats' support, says BJP never neglected me

BJP presence in Karnataka accelerates ahead of polls

According to BJP sources, he will visit the state once again on March 26.

In between Shah's back-to-back visits on March 24 and 26, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to attend events in Bengaluru and Davangere on March 25.

Shah was in Bidar on March 3 to launch the ‘Vijaya Sankalpa Yatre’.

The BJP is trying hard to woo the electorate of Karnataka to return their government to power again in the assembly election, which is due in May this year.

With agency inputs.

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