Mumbai, April 15: Vijay Wadettiwar, the leader of the Maharashtra Congress Legislative Party, has issued a stern warning following the tragic deaths of two young men from alleged drug overdoses at a live music concert in Goregaon. He criticized the Maha Vikas Aghadi government, stating that if the rising drug problem is not addressed, the state will pay a “heavy price.”
In the aftermath of the incident, a joint operation by Mumbai and Kalyan police led to the arrest of a major drug supplier in Kalyan, revealing the involvement of an inter-state drug syndicate.
Wadettiwar compared the current situation in Maharashtra to the drug crisis faced by Punjab a decade ago. He noted that the grip of narcotics is tightening across the state, extending beyond major cities like Mumbai and Pune. The drug network has reached rural areas from Akola and Amravati to Nagpur.
He stated, “Incidents are increasingly surfacing in Nashik, Sambhajinagar, and the Vidarbha region. The Nesco case serves as a grim reminder of how our youth are being ensnared.”
To highlight the seriousness of the situation, Wadettiwar presented alarming statistics. He reported that drugs worth ₹4,249 crores were seized in 2024. During the 2025-26 period, 15,933 individuals were arrested. In just a few months of 2026, 1,438 crimes were recorded, leading to 1,637 arrests and the seizure of drugs valued at ₹940 crores.
He labeled the situation a “severe failure” of the state’s Home Department, specifically mentioning the dismissal of 17 police officers for allegedly aiding drug traffickers. He remarked, “When the ‘khaki’ (police) supports traffickers, incidents like the Nesco Center will occur in every neighborhood.”
Wadettiwar also questioned the political protection afforded to the drug trade, stating, “Merely arresting the accused is not enough. When will the political powers that support these ‘drug mafias’ be exposed? We need a drug-free Maharashtra, or our youth will be devastated.”
Earlier, Harshvardhan Sapkal, president of the Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee, expressed concern over the deaths of two MBA students. They reportedly died from drug overdoses after attending a music event on April 11. He claimed that the illegal drug trade is thriving under the alleged patronage of the government, accusing the BJP-Maha Vikas Aghadi government of pushing Maharashtra’s youth into the clutches of drugs.
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