Record 3,350 kg ganja haul in Tripura: Police
Agartala, Aug 3: Security forces have seized a record 3,350 kg of dry cannabis (ganja) valued at over Rs 2 crore and arrested two persons in Sepahijala district in west Tripura, police said on Friday.
"A joint team of security personnel and other officials led by Deputy Superintendent of Police (Directorate of Intelligence Bureau) Alok Bhattacharjee seized 3,350 kg of cannabis in the bordering village of Kamalnagar late Thursday," Sepahijala district police chief Kulwant Singh told IANS on phone
"The contraband was buried underground in 85 drums in a betel-leaf garden and was recovered after a 15-hour operation. The case was later handed over to the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence," he added.
The government led by Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb has announced that Tripura will be made a drug-free state and directed the security forces to adopt a zero tolerance approach against the drug trade.
A Northeast Frontier Railway press release said the Railway Protection Force had seized around 100 kg of ganja with a market value of Rs 6.27 lakh from Guwahati, Agartala and Dimapur railway stations over the past two weeks.
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Surjewala slams Pratap Simha’s ‘vile’ remarks on CM Siddaramaiah, demands apology from BJP
Bengaluru (PTI): Congress general secretary and Karnataka in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala on Saturday launched a sharp attack on the BJP over alleged disparaging remarks made by former Mysuru-Kodagu MP Pratap Simha against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah during an assembly bypoll campaign in Bagalkote.
Simha made the remarks while campaigning for BJP candidate Veerabhadrayya Charantimath, triggering a political row ahead of the by-elections scheduled for April 9.
Congress has fielded Umesh Meti, son of former MLA late M Y Meti, whose death necessitated the bye-election.
"Pratap Simha's vile remarks about Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in Bagalkot have exposed the BJP's despicable politics once again," Surjewala said in a social media post.
Alleging a larger political design, he added, "It is increasingly evident that Pratap Simha’s outburst is driven by desperation," and accused the BJP of using such remarks to target backward classes, Scheduled Castes, and minorities.
The Rajya Sabha member further claimed that the incident reflects a pattern within the party. "This is not one man's madness—it is the BJP’s political culture," he said, adding that the remarks were aimed at "denigrating leaders from marginalised communities".
Referring to past incidents, Surjewala said, "CM Siddaramaiah and his deputy D K Shivakumar have received death threats in the past, including one from BJP leaders who warned that their bodies would be stuffed into a refrigerator."
The Congress leader also criticised the BJP’s bypoll campaign strategy, alleging "internal contradictions".
He pointed to the party’s use of expelled MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal in campaigning despite earlier disciplinary action against him, accusing the BJP of resorting to "abuses and indignities" against opposition leaders.
Surjewala demanded immediate action from the BJP leadership, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP national president Nitin Nabin, state president B Y Vijayendra, and Leader of Opposition R Ashoka.
He said they must tender a public apology to Kannadigas, particularly to OBCs, SCs, and minorities, over the remarks, and urged the party to expel Simha if it does not repudiate his statements.
Surjewala also called for legal action, demanding that an FIR be registered against Simha and that strict measures be taken.
Warning of "political consequences", he said the electorate in the bypoll-bound constituencies would respond decisively if the BJP failed to apologise, asserting that voters would "teach the BJP a befitting lesson" in the elections.
There has been no immediate reaction from the saffron party yet.
