A political storm has erupted in Chhattisgarh after a BJP leader from Durg district was caught allegedly cultivating opium on more than one and a half acres of land at his farmhouse, triggering swift action from the party and sparking fierce political attacks from the opposition.
Vinay Tamrakar, a local BJP leader and the state convener of the BJP Kisan Morcha's Rice Mill Processing Project, has been suspended from the party after police discovered illegal opium cultivation at his farmhouse in Samoda village.
The suspension order was issued on March 7 by the BJP state office on the instructions of state president Kiran Singh Deo, citing serious damage to the party's image.
Police have arrested three accused, including Tamrakar, in connection with the illegal cultivation. According to investigators, the opium crop had been planted on land reportedly taken on lease, and was being cultivated secretly on the farmland.
The political fallout intensified further when former Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel visited the site in Samoda a day after the raid. Baghel alleged that the farmhouse linked to the BJP leader spreads across nearly 150 acres of land, including grazing areas, and claimed the accused had powerful political connections.
"Which ministers and MLAs are involved in this illegal cultivation should be revealed by the government," Baghel said, suggesting that administrative inaction may have allowed the operation to continue.
The situation briefly turned tense when large numbers of villagers gathered at the site during the inspection. Police attempted to restrict entry to the field, leading to a scuffle between locals and security personnel, after which additional police forces were deployed in the area.
Tamrakar, however, has denied any involvement and claimed that the land where the crop was discovered does not belong to him. He says the property had been given on "adhiya" (sharecropping) basis and that he had no knowledge of the alleged opium cultivation.
Despite his denial, the BJP moved quickly to distance itself from the controversy. The party removed Tamrakar from his organisational post and suspended him from primary membership pending further investigation.
