Don't peddle drugs, smuggle gold as it's a bailable offence, Rajasthan MLA advises people

Jodhpur: Bilara MLA Arjun Lal Garg has an advice to the Dewasi community: Stop peddling drugs, it is a non-bailable offence. Go for gold, where bail is easily obtainable. The advice came from the lawmaker while addressing a gathering of the Dewasi community. A purported video clip of the MLA addressing the gathering where he made the alleged remarks has gone viral. [caption id=“attachment_4295239” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Representational image. Reuters[/caption] Referring to the problem of drug addiction and peddling, Garg said he had put a question in the assembly asking as to how many prisoners were lodged in the Jodhpur jail as an accused under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 Act. “Let me tell you truly that the Dewasi community broke the record of Bishnois in drug peddling,” Garg purportedly tells the gathering. He, however, could not be contacted for his comment. Sources said that Garg left for Ladakh for a leisure tour. He began with a suggestion to stay away from all the evil practices and called upon the gathering to get rid of drug addiction. He told the people that the young generation was getting spoilt due to drug addiction. He then advised them to do deal in gold, saying in case of illegal dealing in the yellow metal the bail was easily obtainable. “If you wanted to do some 2 no. (illegal) business, do the business of gold. Prices of both are the same but it was safer to do gold business than drug”, Garg purportedly said. Addressing the senior persons of the community, he asked them to take a pledge that they would not do drug business but the gold business. The address was made by the MLA at a consecration ceremony of a temple in village Jaitawas of Biara on 7 May, where seers and public representatives were present in large numbers. The video of Garg addressing the gathering there went viral on Wednesday. He went on to add that it would be a “matter of pride” if someone was caught with gold rather than with drugs. Sukhdev Dewasi. District Secretary of Raika Mahasabha condemned this suggestion of Garg. “It was not acceptable that largest number of prisoners in Jodhpur Jail are from Dewasi community. Also, any smuggling was a crime and could not be allowed,” he said.