Would one ever imagine a public place frequented daily by patients and their relatives, the Stanley Government Medical College Hospital in Chennai, becoming a nursery for illegally growing ganja plants? This, critics argue, symbolises the transformation of Tamil Nadu under the Dravidian model of governance, where narcotics peddling is alleged to have reached alarming levels. It is against this backdrop that political reactions have sharpened, linking the incident to what they describe as systemic failure under the present dispensation.
Reacting to the incident, Tamil Nadu BJP youth functionary SG Surya, in a post on X, said: “It is shocking to see a fully grown ganja plant inside the Stanley Government Medical College Hospital compound, that too in capital Chennai city. Ganja in Stanley hospital, that is Stalin’s rule. On every public platform, Stalin and his leaders claim, ‘we are first in medical and public health sectors’. But Stalin, it is now proved that Tamil Nadu under your rule has become No.1 in ganja drug peddling and cultivation,” directly targeting Chief Minister M K Stalin.
தலைநகர் சென்னையின் மிக முக்கிய அரசு மருத்துவமனையான ஸ்டான்லி மருத்துவமனை வளாகத்திற்குள்ளேயே கஞ்சா செடி செழித்து வளர்ந்து நிற்பது அதிர்ச்சியை அளிக்கிறது. ஸ்டான்லி மருத்துவமனையில் கஞ்சா, இது தான் ஸ்டாலினின் ஆட்சி.
மேடைக்கு மேடை "நாங்கள் மருத்துவத்தில் நம்பர் 1, சுகாதாரத்தில் நம்பர்… pic.twitter.com/NQ2YUwFABn
— Dr.SG Suryah (@SuryahSG) December 25, 2025
Adding further, Surya said: “When we were complaining that ganja is freely available in all streets and in areas near schools and colleges, now what should we say on seeing a ganja plant inside the Stanley hospital compound? Health Minister M Subramaniam, is this the pathetic state of affairs under your department? Show some interest in such matters rather than marathon sports for self-publicity. CM M K Stalin, did your police department and its intelligence wing not find this and report it to you? It is now proved that whether or not you are developing medical infrastructure, ganja sale and cultivation are being allowed to grow unchecked in the state.”
In another disturbing incident in Chennai, a four-member juvenile gang, all aged 17, attacked a migrant from Odisha, Suraj (34), with sickles and clubs near the old Railway Quarters. The victim, K. Suraj (20), who had recently come to Chennai following a family dispute and was looking for a job, was travelling on a Chennai–Tiruttani EMU local train on the evening of December 27.
The four juveniles boarded the compartment in an inebriated state and picked a quarrel with him. When the Odisha youth responded in Hindi to their queries, the altercation escalated into a violent assault. He was brutally attacked with a sickle and wooden clubs.
https://twitter.com/polimernews/status/2005261018147225768?s=20
In this connection, Tiruttani police, acting on viral video clips, arrested the four juveniles, all residents of Nemili — including the individual who recorded the video. They were produced before the Juvenile Justice Board and sent to the Observation Home in Purasaiwalkam. Police said Suraj suffered severe cut injuries to his head, hands, and cheeks. The gang fled after leaving him bleeding.
This brutal attack on a migrant labourer from Maharashtra by lumpen elements from TAmilnadu is only symptomatic of a larger disease . This rot of lawlessness , narco addiction and divisive rhetoric is caused by the disease called “DMK”. The cure lies in 2026 assembly elections ! pic.twitter.com/Gefs62vfOZ
— karthik gopinath (@karthikgnath) December 29, 2025
AIADMK leader E K Palanisamy expressed shock over the incident and blamed the DMK government for the prevailing state of affairs.
Tamil Nadu BJP president Nainar Nagendran said it was painful to see youngsters engaging in such acts instead of focusing on their education and future. He stated that the glorification of violence by minors on social media reflected a serious deterioration in mental and social wellbeing, fuelled by substance abuse.
Condemning the incident, BJP leader K Annamalai said the assault highlighted serious lapses in law and order. He pointed to deeper problems, including the easy availability of narcotics, the normalisation of violence, and growing hostility towards migrant workers.
Justice for Siraj pic.twitter.com/hDJAkS5ikk
— Indu Makkal Katchi (off) (@Indumakalktchi) December 29, 2025
Two years ago, K Annamalai warned that Chennai was fast emerging as a ganja capital, citing repeated large-scale drug seizures.
Last week, the Prohibition Enforcement Wing (PEW), Pallikaranai, seized 110 kg of ganja and arrested three accused. Police said that on December 23, at around 7 a.m., a team intercepted a car near TNHB B6 Road in Sholinganallur and seized the contraband. The vehicle, three mobile phones, and other incriminating items were also seized.
In another case, 100 kg of ganja worth ₹7 lakh was seized and three men were arrested near Bargur in Krishnagiri on September 25, 2025, following a vehicle check near the Andhra Pradesh border. Police said the woman identified as Renuka (23), a native of Chikkala in Andhra Pradesh, is the wife of Devasagayam, a notorious ganja smuggler and resident of Chetpet.
Meanwhile, Andhra Pradesh Police busted a major cannabis trafficking network with international links, arresting eight suspects, including a software engineer from Bengaluru.
The operation reportedly stretched from Odisha and Andhra Pradesh to Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka. The report said that among those arrested was 28-year-old Gade Renuka of Vizianagaram district, described by police as the “lady don” controlling the network.
Renuka allegedly operated across Payakaraopeta, Narsipatnam, Saluru, and Bengaluru, renting houses to store and distribute cannabis. She and her associate, Surya Kalidas, reportedly used a rented house in Narsipatnam as a hub for consignments destined for Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka. It is learnt that Renuka, a former IT professional, built a sophisticated supply chain, sourcing cannabis from Balimela and Chitrakonda in Odisha at around ₹5,000 per kg with the help of middleman Adduri Prasad.
Drivers Madhan Kumar and Naga Muttu allegedly transported consignments to the Rajanagaram highway junction, from where they were routed into Tamil Nadu and smuggled onwards to Sri Lanka. The gang also sold cannabis locally in small packets.
The Narcotics Control Bureau seized over 28 kg of high-grade hydroponic ganja at Chennai International Airport on November 13, after two women passengers allegedly procured the contraband in Phuket, Thailand. Customs officials also seized around 11.5 kg of hydroponic weed worth ₹11.5 crore from two separate passengers on October 24 and 25.
These incidents, critics say, are only samples that underline the seriousness of the drug menace in Tamil Nadu.
Drugs are easily available in Tamil Nadu and youngsters are victim to it. A story I wrote on Sept, 2024, on how young kids (see in pic) were smoking pot at the British era terrace garden in George Town. The teenagers brandished knives in front of contractor to enter the park, and… pic.twitter.com/8smG1LZPSW
— Omjasvin M D (@omjasvinMD) December 29, 2025
Critics further allege that the police are “busy arresting people for comments against the government and devotees in Madurai who went to light lamps armed with court orders”. They point out that police officials allegedly disobeyed High Court directions and are now facing contempt proceedings.
