BJP national spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia.
Credit: PTI File Photo
New Delhi: The Congress has now become a party of leaders dealing in cocaine, the BJP alleged on Friday as it intensified its attack on the party over Tushar Goyal's arrest in a case of seizure of banned drugs worth Rs 5,600 crore.
The BJP's attack came even as the Congress refuted the charges as baseless to influence the Haryana Assembly polls.
Addressing a press conference at the BJP headquarters here, party national spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia also rejected the Congress youth wing’s claim that Goyal had been expelled on October 17, 2022 for anti-party activities.
“It’s a forgery for which the Congress is famous. As soon as he turned out to be an accused in the case, a backdated letter of his expulsion from the organisation was released,” Bhatia said and demanded a “digital proof” of the veracity of its claim.
The Indian Youth Congress had on Thursday 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.
Bhatia alleged that the quantity of the drug haul seized by the police shows that the sole objective was to push the "youth of Haryana and the country" into drug addiction and sought to know Goyal's associates in the Congress.
“What kind of ‘C’ Congress is it?...C for confusion, C for corruption and now C for cocaine The Congress, which was known for corruption until so far, is now known for cocaine. It has become cocaine Congress,” the BJP spokesperson charged.
The Congress should answer why those who harass women, commit corruption and deal in banned drugs are seen in the party, Bhatia said.
"Rahul Gandhi should give a clarification. People are saying the confused and corrupt Congress is now cocaine Congress," he added.
Bhatia said while the Modi government has adopted zero tolerance policy towards drug menace, it is “shameful and very dangerous” that an office bearer of the Congress is caught by the police in a case of seizure of banned drugs worth Rs 5,600 crore.
While the Modi government wants to take the country’s youth in the direction of sports, education and innovation, the Congress wants to push them into the dark world of drugs abuse, Bhatia charged.
The Modi government will never let the Congress leaders succeed in their efforts. he said.
"It's the BJP's commitment that we will not let country's youth become addicted to drugs, no matter how much cocaine Congress wants them to be so," he added.
The BJP leader said the government is committed to end the drug menace and asked the Congress to clear its stand on this issue.
What role will the Congress play in this fight against drug menace, whether it will stand with the country or make its leaders deal in banned drugs, he asked.
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.