'Was it for Haryana polls?' asks BJP as Congress link surfaces in Rs 5,600-cr drug bust

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday leveled serious allegations against the Congress, claiming that Tushar Goyal, the kingpin arrested in the recent Rs 5,600 crore drug bust in Delhi, is linked to the Congress party. BJP spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi stated that Goyal is the chairman of the RTI cell of the Delhi Youth Congress and questioned whether the seized drug money was intended for use in the upcoming Haryana Assembly elections.

"Yesterday in Delhi, drugs worth Rs 5,600 crore were seized. This is significant, as during the UPA government (2006-2013), drugs worth only Rs 768 crore were seized across India. The main accused in the drug syndicate, Tushar Goyal, is the head of the Indian Youth Congress RTI cell. What relationship does the Congress party have with him (Goyal)?" Trivedi asked at a press conference.

He suggested a possible arrangement between the Congress party and drug dealers, questioning whether the drug money was being funneled into the Congress' election campaign. "Was this money being used in elections by the Congress party? Do some leaders of Congress have any agreements with drug peddlers? The Congress, particularly the Hooda family, should explain their connection with Tushar Goyal," Trivedi added.

Trivedi also displayed photos of Goyal with senior Congress leaders, including K C Venugopal and Deepender Singh Hooda, and claimed Goyal had the mobile number of Deepender Hooda, Congress Lok Sabha MP son of former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda. Trivedi read out from Goyal's appointment letter as the head of the Delhi Youth Congress RTI cell, which he said referenced the leadership of Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi.

BJP National General Secretary Tarun Chugh also attacked the Congress, accusing it of collaborating with drug peddlers and mafia elements. "Why is Arvind Kejriwal silent on this issue? Congress appears to be part of an international conspiracy to push youth into the drug menace. Interrogation should reveal who is involved and where the drug money is being used by Congress," Chugh charged.

On Wednesday, the Delhi Police made one of the largest drug busts in the city's history, seizing over 560 kilograms of cocaine and 40 kilograms of hydroponic marijuana, valued at Rs 5,620 crore. The operation was carried out by the Special Cell of the Delhi Police in Mahipalpur, South Delhi, leading to the arrest of four individuals: Tushar Goyal (40), Himanshu Kumar (27), Aurangzeb Siddiqui (23) of Delhi, and Bharat Kumar Jain (48) of Mumbai.

According to Additional Commissioner of Police (Special Cell) P S Kushwah, Tushar Goyal, a resident of Vasant Vihar, is a key player in an international narcotics syndicate and responsible for distributing drugs across India. His associates were also arrested, and a consignment of 22 cartons of banned substances, including 547 kilograms of cocaine and over 40 kilograms of hydroponic marijuana, was seized from a godown in Mahipalpur.

"The approximate price of cocaine in the international market is rs 10 crore per kilogram, and hydroponic marijuana is Rs 50 lakh per kilogram," Kushwah said. The total street value of the seized drugs is estimated at Rs 5,620 crore.

Kushwah said the marijuana had been sourced from Phuket, Thailand, and brought to India via air, while the cocaine was suspected to have been procured from West Asian countries. Goyal, who graduated from a reputed university in 2003, is also believed to have connections in Dubai and other West Asian countries. 

Goyal allegedly used cryptocurrency to acquire the drugs and sold them in various regions of India. Goyal's father runs two publication houses in central Delhi, but the police believe Goyal was using his business as a front for his illegal activities.