BJP targets Congress over alleged links with drug haul ‘kingpin’; party denies claims

The Bharatiya Janata Party BJP on Thursday (October 3, 2024) alleged that a drug haul “kingpin” was the chairperson of the Delhi Youth Congress’s Right to Information (RTI) cell, a charge dismissed by the Indian Youth Congress as baseless.

The accused, Tushar Goyal, was arrested by the Delhi police earlier this week in connection with the seizure of drugs worth about ₹5,600 crore.

Addressing a press conference, BJP national spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi quoted a purported appointment letter to say that Mr. Goyal was made the RTI cell chairman of the Delhi Pradesh Youth Congress in March 2022. In the letter, senior Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi were also mentioned, Mr. Trivedi said.

The Indian Youth Congress’s statement condemned the “baseless” allegations made by Mr. Trivedi. “He falsely claimed that Tushar Goyal is the alleged chairman of Delhi Pradesh Youth Congress RTI Cell,” it said, adding that Mr. Goyal had been expelled from the organisation on October 17, 2022 due to anti-party activities, and had not been associated with the Congress in any capacity since then.

“In fact, as per media reports alleged Tushar Goyal himself confessed to the police that he was a former chairman of Delhi Pradesh Youth Congress RTI Cell in 2021-22 but left the organisation afterwards. The BJP is attempting to tarnish the image of the Congress party and its leaders using false information,” the statement said.

“...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,” the Indian Youth Congress said.

However, raising questions over the money connected to the drug seizure, Mr. Trivedi earlier said the agencies had purportedly found the number of Congress leader Deepender Hooda in the mobile phone of the accused. “Is the money for elections...?” he asked.

“I want to say to the informed citizens of the nation...if one wants to destroy a country, two things are used: first, create confusion among the people, and second, get its young generation involved in drugs. The Congress party’s links with various international forces and institutions, which sometimes come to light, are related to creating confusion in the country. Now, the direct connection between such a large scandal of involving youth in drugs, and the Congress party’s office-bearer, signals deep and dangerous consequences,” the BJP leader said.

“By appointing such individuals as party officials, does the Congress have any arrangement with a drug network where they have assured them that, if they come to power, like Punjab got engulfed in drugs, they will pave the way for the same in Haryana?... More importantly, the Hooda family must answer...,” Mr. Trivedi said.