A Bharatiya Janata Party MLA from Rajasthan has encouraged people to smuggle gold instead of peddling drugs as it is a bailable offence, PTI reported. Addressing a gathering of the Dewasi community, Bilara MLA Arjun Lal Garg said that the group had “broken the record of the Bishnoi community” in drug peddling, which was a non-bailable offence.

Garg made the comments while addressing an event at a consecration ceremony of a temple in Jaitawas village on May 7. A video of the incident has gone viral on social media.

Garg asked the gathering to stay away from drug addiction as it was destroying the lives of the youth. Instead, he suggested dealing in gold, adding that bail was easily obtainable in cases of illegal smuggling of the yellow metal. The BJP MLA claimed that many people from the Dewasi community were lodged in Jodhpur jail as accused under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act.

“Prices of both gold and drugs are the same, but it is safer to deal in gold,” the MLA told the gathering. He claimed it was a “matter of pride” if someone was caught smuggling gold rather than drugs.

Raika Mahasabha District Secretary condemned Garg’s remarks, PTI reported. He said it was not appropriate to claim that most of the prisoners in Jodhpur jail were from the Dewasi community. He added that smuggling anything was a crime and could not be permitted.