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MANGALORE: Hindu right wing group and former chairperson of Karnataka State Commission for Women C Manjula on Wednesday assailed the failure of the law and order machinery in the city to curb sale of drugs. Coming in handy for Sri Rama Sene and Manjula was the recent death of Sneha Upadhya who ended her life unable to overcome her addiction to drugs, despite undergoing treatment and counselling for her substance abuse issues.

Kumar Malemar, president of district unit of SRS questioned the silence of "self-proclaimed" women’s rights activists and statutory women’s rights bodies on Sneha’s death. "When we (SRS) carried out attacks on revellers at a pub (in 2009), and Hindu Jagaran Vedike at a homestay (in Padil in July 2012), the entire attention was riveted on our acts rather than the root cause - free availability of drugs at such joints and in private parties," Kumar said.

Clarifying he did not support physical assault on youths or anyone else, Kumar said despite informing the police about such illegal activities at pubs, and in DJ parties, not much action is forthcoming from their side. If the police had read the warning signs behind our intent, they could have effectively acted against the drugs mafia operating in the city, Kumar said, adding it is high time that the authorities concerned came down hard on this mafia.

Manjula, who recently joined Karnataka Janata Party as chairperson of its women’s wing, said an inept state government and an opposition detached from its responsibilities had failed to live up to aspirations of the youths or address their problems - falling prey to drugs being one among them. "The death of Sneha should evoke similar mass action that nation saw in the aftermath of Nirbhaya’s gang rape and murder. Sneha’s death should not go waste," she said.

Observing that the commission’s report then headed by her on the homestay attack was seen with scorn, Manjula said there is no two ways in the fact that the revellers were using drugs at the birthday party. The police top brass swept this under the carpet because the daughter of a senior police officer was at the party, she said, adding it is time that police and administration reacted proactively to the situation and stop more going the Sneha way.