Congress seeks M.P. Minister’s resignation over brother’s arrest for marijuana smuggling

The Madhya Pradesh Congress has demanded the resignation of State Government Minister Pratima Bagri, a day after her alleged brother was arrested for smuggling marijuana in Satna district. 

According to the police, Anil Bagri was arrested on Monday (December 8) based on the interrogation of a man held earlier in the day with about 46 kilograms of ganja (marijuana) worth more than ₹9.22 lakh. 

Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP), Satna Rural, Premlal Kurve said that based on a tip-off, a raid was conducted in Maroha village under Rampur Baghelan police station and Pankaj Singh Baghel was arrested after marijuana was recovered in multiple rice sacks hidden in front of his house. 

“In this case, he told us that he had received the ganja from Anil Bagri and one Shailendra Singh,” Mr. Kurve said, adding that all three men have been booked under provisions of the NDPS Act. 

“Anil and Pankaj were presented before a court and have been sent to 14 days of judicial custody,” Mr. Kurve said, speaking to The Hindu.

A senior police officer, on the condition of anonymity, said that Shailendra Singh is also a brother-in-law of Ms. Bagri and had been arrested by the Uttar Pradesh Police earlier this month for alleged marijuana smuggling.

Madhya Pradesh Congress president Jitu Patwari targeted the Bharatiya Janata Party Government over the issue and demanded that Ms. Bagri resigned from her post and Chief Minister Mohan Yadav gave up the Home portfolio. 

“What message is this? That the government itself is involved in drug trade? Madhya Pradesh alone in the entire country aims to earn revenue of ₹17,000 crore from liquor sales and is surpassing even Punjab in the illegal drug trade,” Mr. Patwari said, claiming that law and order in the State has collapsed and Mr. Yadav should handover the Home Department to someone else. 

“Even after this you don’t want to give up Home Ministry, you are doing injustice to the State,” he said. 

Activists of the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI), the students wing of the Congress, also staged demonstration near the residences of Mr. Yadav and Ms. Bagri, alleging that a drug network in the State was running “from the homes of ministers”.

Ms. Bagri, Minister of State for Urban Development and Housing, said that the police are doing their job and any criminal will not be spared. 

“Anyone who does wrong whether its a relative or a family member, the police will take action against them. Even in the past, they have done this work,” Ms. Bagri said, calling for an impartial probe into the matter.

Earlier in the day, while Ms. Bagri did not deny the relation with Mr. Anil Bagri, she told reporters that the “media fabricates relatives on its own”.