Akhilesh Yadav Alleges Major Codeine Syrup Racket Linked to PM's Constituency
Akhilesh Yadav's Press Conference on Codeine Syrup Controversy
During a press conference on Saturday, Akhilesh Yadav, the leader of the Samajwadi Party, claimed that the ongoing Codeine syrup controversy originated from the Prime Minister's constituency. He accused the state's Chief Minister of lying, along with those who support him. Yadav expressed disbelief that illegal trade of cough syrup could be thriving in the Prime Minister's parliamentary area, asserting that it involves thousands of crores and is an international issue. He suggested that the racket is much larger than anticipated and called for strict action against all involved, referring to them as 'Codeine Bhaiya' in a pointed critique of the mafia associated with the situation.
Details of the Allegations
Yadav emphasized that the matter is not merely worth 100 or 200 crores, but involves around 700 companies and transactions amounting to several thousand crores. He read headlines from various news reports detailing the Codeine syrup racket and accused the ruling party of hiding crucial facts. He criticized the BJP government for using selective images to blame the Samajwadi Party, questioning if merely appearing in a photo with someone makes one a mafia member. He pointed out that he has pictures with the Chief Minister, both Deputy Chief Ministers, and numerous BJP leaders, challenging the narrative that associates him with criminality.
Response to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's Remarks
Yadav's comments came in response to sharp criticisms from Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath regarding the Codeine syrup smuggling case, where Adityanath claimed that the Samajwadi Party is linked to every mafia. The Chief Minister stated that it is widely known that nearly every mafia in the state has connections to the Samajwadi Party, and preliminary investigations revealed that some individuals arrested by the STF or Uttar Pradesh Police are associated with the party.