AIADMK chief Palaniswami urges CM Vijay to address TVK member's arrest in massive meth bust

What Happened

A TVK party functionary named Bhoopalan was arrested in Nagapattinam after the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence seized about 137 kg of fully processed meth crystals worth roughly ₹400 crore. The seizure is described as one of the biggest narcotics busts in Tamil Nadu’s coastal region in recent years.

Reaction

AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami on Tuesday publicly questioned Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay’s silence on the case. Referring to a Union Ministry of Finance release, Palaniswami said the arrest and drug haul should shame the state government. He recalled the earlier Jaffer Sadiq case, where a pseudo‑ephedrine seizure shocked the public, and contrasted it with the current incident involving the TVK functionary. He warned the administration should feel ashamed of allowing such a large drug operation to exist.

Context

The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, a central agency, carried out the bust, not the state police. The incident adds political pressure on the ruling TVK party as it faces criticism over law‑and‑order issues in a key coastal district.