BJP youth leader, arrested in drugs case, blames party colleague

Bharatiya Janata Party's youth-wing leader Pamela Goswami, arrested in a drugs case, on Saturday demanded the arrest of party colleague Rakesh Singh, accusing him of conspiracy, and sought a CID probe into the matter.

Goswami, the state secretary of Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM), was arrested along with a friend, Pradip Kumar Dey, and her personal security guard from south Kolkata's New Alipore area on Friday after around 90 gm of cocaine worth lakhs of rupees was allegedly found from her handbag and car, according to police.

"I want a CID investigation. BJP's Rakesh Singh, the aide of Kailash Vijayvargiya, should be arrested. This is his conspiracy," Goswami told reporters while being taken to lock-up from a city court.

Singh, a BJP state committee member, alleged that the ruling Trinamool Congress and the Kolkata Police were conspiring against him and have 'brainwashed' Goswami.

He said that he has not been in touch with Goswami for more than a year and was ready to face any investigation.

"If I am involved, they can call me or Kailash Vijayvargiya or Amit Shah. I think the police have brainwashed her. I am not in touch with Pamela for more than one-and-a half-years now," Singh told PTI.

"This can be that the Kolkata Police is following the Trinamool Congress's instructions. They are conspiring against me. These are baseless accusations and I am ready to face any challenge," he added.

The Trinamool Congress said that the whole episode portrays the 'true character' of the BJP.

"Earlier, one of their leaders was arrested for involvement in child trafficking. Now another one is arrested in the drugs case. This only proves what the BJP and its leaders are up to," TMC's secretary-general and state minister Partha Chatterjee said.