KALABURAGI : Following media reports about his alleged involvement in a drug trafficking case, Block Congress president of Kalaburagi-South Rural Lingaraj Kanni was expelled from the primary membership of the party on Monday, a statement by Kalaburagi Congress district unit president Jagadev Guttedar said.
Kanni was arrested by the Kalyan Police in Thane, Maharashtra, for allegedly selling narcotic substances, and 120 bottles of banned codeine syrup were seized from his possession. He has been remanded in judicial custody.
Maharashtra Police arrested three persons, including Kanni and Irfan Ibrahim of Kalaburagi, and the car driver. The arrests came to light on Sunday.
Kanni is reportedly a close supporter of RDPR Minister Priyank Kharge and Kalaburagi-South MLA Allamaprabhu Patil. Reacting, Priyank said, “He (Kanni) is an office-bearer — we cannot deny that. But calling him a ‘close aide’ has become BJP’s habit. After the news broke, Kanni was suspended from the party. I believe that he was caught peddling some cough syrup worth around Rs 27,000. But whether it is Rs 27,000 or Rs 27 crore, breaking the law is unacceptable to the party.”