Codeine syrup racket has spread to PM’s constituency: Akhilesh Yadav

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav has blamed the BJP government for the alleged spread of fake and toxic codeine-based syrup, which he claimed had reached the Prime Minister’s constituency, Varanasi.

Akhilesh Yadav said that the illegal trade of codeine cough syrup is worth thousands of crores of rupees.

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Addressing the media here on Saturday, he said the Chief Minister and those standing with him were lying in a manner that was unimaginable.

“If the government is truly against the mafia, bulldozers should be used on the houses of all those whose pictures are being shown with me. Whether it is ‘Kaleen Bhaiya’ or ‘Codeine Bhaiya’, equal action should be taken against everyone involved in this illegal business,” he demanded.

During the press conference, he said, “Regarding the ongoing developments related to codeine, there is a very important issue that the government is hiding. More than 118 FIRs have been registered across 36 districts, and a black market for cough syrup was operating in Uttar Pradesh. Many photographs are being circulated; if we assume these images to be accurate and consider anyone appearing with me to be a mafia member, then I too have photographs with the Chief Minister and the Deputy Chief Minister. I can understand the compulsion,” he said.

Akhilesh Yadav alleged that the entire police force is being made to blow whistles to prevent former IPS officer Amitabh Thakur from presenting his case. He also claimed that former MLA Deepak Yadav was sent to jail in a fabricated case.

A day earlier, Akhilesh Yadav had posted on X in a poetic style, saying, “When you get caught yourself, blame others, this game is old. Rulers, tell us something new.”