Tushar Goyal, the mastermind behind Delhi’s biggest drug bust worth over Rs 5,640 crore allegedly has Congress connections. Sources in Delhi Police’s Special Cell said that he admitted to having held office in the Congress’s IT Cell.
Later, a war of words broke out between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Congress. The BJP claimed 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. It asked if the money was brought in for the October 5 Haryana elections while a claim refuted by the opposition party as baseless.
According to sources, Goyal claimed during interrogation that he has been the chairman of the RTI cell of Delhi Pradesh Congress till 2022, Delhi Police sources said. Photos of the accused with many Congress leaders have also surfaced.
Delhi police special cell has arrested Goyal, the main accused following the recovery of more than 500 kg of cocaine and 40 kg of hydroponic marijuana worth over Rs 5,600 crore in a raid conducted in south Delhi on Wednesday.
Later, a war of words erupted between BJP and Congress on this issue. “Drugs worth Rs 5,600 crore have been recovered from Delhi. The main accused in this case is Tushar Goyal, who is the chief of the RTI cell of the Indian Youth Congress,” BJP spokesperson and Rajya Sabha MP Sudhanshu Trivedi said addressing a press conference in the national capital on Thursday.
Trivedi sought explanation from the Congress, questioning if the party used drug money in its election campaign and if its association with Goyal 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 Goyal not only had pictures with senior Congress leaders like KC 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.
Responding to the allegations, Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit said that the accused is a former member of the Indian Youth Congress and was expelled by the party two years ago. The Indian Youth Congress (IYC) said in a statement that Tushar Goyal, 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.
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 also read from Goyal’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. The BJP has also circulated photos purportedly showing Goyal with several Congress leaders.
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 destabilising the country are already exposed. “Hateful stuff was already visible in Rahul Gandhi’s ‘mohabbat ki dukan’. Now drugs are also available,” Trivedi said.
