The BJP high command is worried as party leaders’ names have been surfacing in cases of drug smuggling.

The saffron party, which has been using the drugs issue as a plank to nail its ally the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and go solo in the 2017 Assembly elections, has caught itself in the web after allegations surfaced against its leaders.

The party was pushed on to the back foot after president of the Ferozepur BJP minority cell Jarnail Singh alias Judge Nimana was arrested in connection with a drug smuggling case.

BJP national president Amit Shah (right) with Punjab unit chief Kamal Sharma (left). Sharma’s personal assistant Jaspal Singh was previously arrested on charges of demanding a bribe from smugglers.

Earlier, state BJP chief Kamal Sharma’s personal assistant Jaspal Singh, alias Jimmy, was arrested on charges of demanding a bribe from smugglers in return of settling the cases registered against them.

Sharma’s aides — Amrender Singh, Jugraj Singh and Gurcharan Singh — have also been arrested in connection with criminal cases.

Earlier, Sharma had tried to clear his position by expelling the arrested leaders but Jarnail’s arrest in Rajasthan with contrabands has got him in a fix again.

The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, BJP’s political ideologue, has now been asked to probe the allegations. The RSS, which has been entrusted with the job of creating a vote bank in rural areas, has submitted a detailed report to party national president Amit Shah.