Panaji, April 7 The death of a young man from Indore due to suspected drug overdose in Goa has triggered a political outcry, with the opposition AAP and the Congress questioning the "easy availability" of drugs and accusing the BJP-ruled state of becoming a "narcotic hub".
Following the man's death over the weekend, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convenor Arvind Kejriwal questioned how drugs are so "easily accessible" in the coastal state.
Indore resident Ishant Singh Badgujar, who was on vacation in Goa with his friend, was taken to North Goa District Hospital on Saturday after he fell ill. Sources in the Anjuna police in North Goa said the 21-year-old was declared dead on arrival at the hospital.
While the police have not issued any formal statement on his cause of death, sources at the Goa Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) claimed Badgujar died due to suspected drug overdose.
A senior GMCH official said the Indore tourist suffered a heart attack due to suspected drug overdose. While details of his post-mortem examination were yet to be revealed, the official said he had consumed a cocktail of drugs.
AAP convenor Kejriwal wrote on his X handle, "A young life lost... 21-year-old boy from Indore died in Goa after consuming a deadly mix of drugs & alcohol. How are drugs so easily accessible in Goa?"
Goa Youth Congress president Archit Naik said the state's image as a tourist paradise has been severely damaged.
He alleged that Goa is rapidly becoming a "hub of narcotics and lawlessness".
"A young tourist from Indore tragically lost his life, with the post-mortem confirming his death due to a drug overdose. This is not an isolated incident. Drugs are now freely circulating even in the hinterlands of the state," he said in a media statement.
What is even more alarming is the deafening silence of the BJP-linked organisations Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) and the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) over the drug issue, Naik stated.
"When those in power choose to look away, it only raises the question - are political patrons shielding the drug trade?," he questioned.