TDP shielding drug peddlers

Visakhapatnam, July 8: YSRCP has charged the coalition government with converting Vizag in to a drug capital of the State and senior TDP leaders are shielding cocaine peddlers bringing down the brand image of the city. 
Speaking to media here on Tuesday, former minister Gudivada Amarnath said senior TDP leaders of the region including local MP have mounted pressure on the Police to let go two of the five persons held for cocaine peddling which shows how the city is being converted into a drug capital.
Giving details of the case, Amarnath said, one person named Thomas who landed from Delhi was caught red-handed while he was giving 25 grams of cocaine to Akshay Kumar at the premises of a University on Friday night.
The police after going through their call data and taken into custody three others and it was mentioned in a press release, he said. 
With panic buttons being pressed and presumably communication from higher ups, the next day senior TDP MLAs from the region and an MP had mounted pressure on the Police Commissioner and personally visited his office. 
After that two of the three persons Gautham Jain and Koneru Raghu were let off. This is nothing but interference from the top level from CMO, his son Lokesh and others. When the issue pertains to narcotics two persons being set free within 24 hours is very rare and it shows that there is foul play and we demand a thorough inquiry in to the incident. 
The person who received the cocaine at the University is a close associate of an MP from the erstwhile East Godavari district, he said.   
While YS Jagan Mohan Reddy during his term wanted to make Vizag Executive Capital, the coalition government is hell bent on destroying its brand image and converted it in to a drug capital, he said. During his term there was strict enforcement which was the reason why large number of cases were registered and strict action was taken by special enforcement bureau. 
The coalition government only speaks loud on controlling drug trafficking with its propaganda machinery patting its back by publishing stories to that effect while in reality, cocaine is being peddled and senior TDP functionaries are backing the offenders, he said adding that a thorough inquiry into the incident will bring more details.