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Congress legislators raised the contented of amerciable cultivation of opium, allegedly astatine the workplace of a section BJP functionary, successful the Chhattisgarh Assembly connected Monday (March 9, 2026).
The Opposition MLAs caused a ruckus successful the House alleging that the BJP person Vinayak Tamrakar was progressive successful the farming successful Durg territory and claimed that helium enjoyed extortion from the ruling party. They besides moved an adjournment question implicit the contented which was disallowed by the seat starring to protestation and consequent suspension of 29 Congress MLAs.
The Leader of the Opposition Charan Das Mahant raised the substance during the Zero Hour and said that opium cultivation was taking spot astir 50 km from the State superior Raipur.
The LoP claimed that Mr. Tamrakar was progressive successful amerciable farming. Mr. Tamrakar, who has present been suspended from the party, has been named successful the FIR, helium said.
He claimed that determination appeared to beryllium administrative collusion successful the case, and accused the authorities of wanting to marque Chhattisgarh, which is known “dhan ka katora” (rice bowl) of the country, “afeem ka katora” (opium bowl) by 2047.
Joining him, erstwhile Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel claimed the District Collector had earlier identified the tract arsenic belonging to Mr. Tamrakar, but the constabulary had not made him the main accused successful the FIR.
Instead, a antheral from Rajasthan who worked astatine the workplace was listed arsenic the premier accused, followed by different workplace worker, portion Mr. Tamrakar was named 3rd successful the FIR, helium said. The FIR lacked cardinal details specified arsenic the nonstop landholding and ownership of the property, Mr. Baghel claimed.
Congress members demanded a treatment by moving an adjournment question announcement successful the House. The enactment alleged that maize and wheat crops had been planted astir the opium fields to conceal the amerciable activity.
Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma replied connected the contented and said that a associated squad comprising police, officials from the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL), excise and gross departments conducted a raid astatine the site.
Due to darkness, the tract was secured connected the archetypal time and the seizure cognition resumed connected March 7 successful the beingness of a main judicial magistrate. Three accused— Vikas Vishnoi, Manish Thakur and Vinayak Tamrakar— were arrested and produced earlier a tribunal the aforesaid day, Mr. Sharma added.
A lawsuit has been registered astatine Pulgaon constabulary presumption nether the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. Authorities seized opium plants weighing 62,424.4 kg, valued astatine astir ₹7.8 crore, helium informed. He besides informed the House that betwixt 2024 and February 2026, the State registered 2,947 cases related to narcotics trafficking and arrested 5,177 accused.
After Mr. Sharma’s reply, the Chair disallowed the adjournment motion. Dissatisfied, Congress members began sloganeering and entered the good of the House, starring to their automatic suspension. The Chair announced the suspension of 29 Congress members, pursuing which they sat connected the level of the House and continued shouting slogans against the government.
After the contented surfaced connected March 7, BJP suspended its Kisan Morcha functionary Mr. Tamrakar from the enactment for tarnishing its image.
Meanwhile the Congress enactment besides announced a thoroughfare protests connected the issue.
“On the telephone of Chhattisgarh Pradesh Congress Committee, successful protestation against the Bharatiya Janata Party’s extortion to the cause trade, a protest/demonstration is to beryllium held connected March 12, 2026 by gheraoing the BJP bureau successful each the territory office of the State including the superior Raipur,” work a enactment connection issued connected Monday (March 9, 2026) evening.
