Panaji : Goa Congress president Luizinho Faleiro Sunday said if Prime Minister Narendra Modi is serious about cracking down on drug abuse, then he should advise the BJP-led coalition government in the state to crackdown on the rapidly worsening drug menace here.
Faleiro, who was speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a Congress ‘chintan shibir’ (discussion meet) here, said the drug menace had grown worse in the recent years and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government was not doing much to rein in the problem.
“He (Modi) should advise his BJP government in the state to alleviate Goa from the drug problem,” Faleiro said.
He was reacting to the prime minister’s Sunday address on ‘Mann Ki baat’.
On Sunday, Modi in an emotional appeal asked Indians to stay away from the drug menace and had also implored to the youth to cultivate the courage to “say no to drugs”.
“For a few hours you may feel it is a different life, free of troubles but have you thought the bullet that has hit the soldier has the money of your drugs. We cannot help terrorists and drug mafia,” Modi said in his address.
“Drugs is a psycho-socio-medical problem and we need to see it this way. The solution to this problem is bigger than medicine and everyone from the society, the police will have to work together,” Modi also said.
Faleiro said the Goa government had failed on all fronts, including in its ability to tackle the drugs issue.
“The drug problem in Goa is worsening day by day, along with child abuse and overall law and order,” Faleiro said.
Goa, a popular beach tourism destination, is also known as a drug-haven for thousands of young tourists, both Indian and foreigners.
The state annually attracts three million tourists out of which half a million are foreigners.