BJP alleges drug kingpin is Youth Congress leader, IYC says he was expelled in 2022

New Delhi: The BJP on Thursday alleged that the kingpin arrested in the case of seizure of drugs worth Rs 5,600 crore is the chairman of the Delhi Youth Congress' RTI cell, a claim refuted by the opposition party as baseless to influence the Haryana Assembly polls.

The Indian Youth Congress (IYC) said in a statement that Tushar Goel, the suspected kingpin, was expelled from the organisation on October 17, 2022 for anti-party activities soon after BJP spokesperson and MP Sudhanshu Trivedi charged the opposition party with having links with the drug dealers.

In a press conference, Trivedi sought explanation from the Congress, questioning if the party used drug money in its election campaign and if its association with Goel extended to business as well.

Was there an arrangement between the drug dealers and the Congress that they will be given a free run in Haryana if the party comes to power, he asked, alleging that the neighbouring state of Punjab is already in the grip of drugs.

Trivedi said Goel not only had pictures with senior Congress leaders like K C Venugopal and Deepender Singh Hooda but also had the mobile number of Hooda, the son of former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda.

The Hooda family should also explain, he said.

Hitting back, the IYC accused the BJP of trying to tarnish its image and that of the Congress leaders in order to influence the Haryana Assembly elections on October 5, asserting that the accused has not been associated with it since his expulsion.

Trivedi's claims are "baseless and misleading" just to influence the Haryana elections, it claimed.

"Rather than spreading half-baked political stories, the BJP should trust the Delhi Police to investigate and uncover the truth. We urge the Delhi Police to take strict action against those arrested in the alleged drug bust rather than allowing it to become a vicious political campaign," it stated.

Trivedi read from Goel's appointment letter, dated March 24, 2022 as the head of the Delhi Youth Congress' RTI cell, claiming that it made a mention of the leadership of Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi as well.

He said spreading confusion and the use of drugs are often used to destroy a society, claiming that the Congress' relations with international organisations involved in destablising the country are already exposed.

"Hateful stuff was already visible in Rahul Gandhi's 'mohabbat ki dukan'. Now drugs are also available," he said.

The Delhi Police has made one of the biggest ever drug busts in the city, seizing over 560 kilograms of cocaine and 40 kilograms of hydroponic marijuana estimated to be worth around Rs 5,620 crore, officials said on Wednesday.