Cough syrup scam began in UP; govt protecting culprits: Akhilesh Yadav

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Thursday launched a scathing attack on the BJP-led Uttar Pradesh government, alleging that a sprawling racket involving the illegal supply of codeine-based cough syrups — now ballooning into a scam worth thousands of crores — has its origins in the state, with the ruling dispensation shielding those at the helm.

Speaking at a press conference at the party headquarters after a meeting of SP MLAs, Yadav claimed the operation began in what he pointedly described as the “area of the Pradhan Sansad”, an apparent reference to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s parliamentary constituency of Varanasi. What was once believed to be a relatively small scam, he said, has since unravelled into a nationwide — and even international — network, with its nerve centre firmly rooted in Uttar Pradesh.

“The menace of codeine and cough syrup abuse is not confined to Uttar Pradesh alone; it is a national concern,” Yadav said, alleging that the racket’s tentacles stretch across the country and beyond its borders. He asserted that crucial links in the chain lie in districts adjoining the Prime Minister’s constituency, reinforcing his charge that the entire operation is being run from the state itself.

Yadav said the alleged racket dominated discussions during the SP legislators’ meeting, with the party preparing to raise the issue forcefully in the upcoming assembly session. He accused the state government of dragging its feet, contrasting the apparent inaction in this case with the swift deployment of bulldozers in other high-profile matters. “It seems the government’s bulldozer has lost its driver — and its key,” he quipped.

According to officials, enforcement agencies are currently tracing money trails linked to the network, with the Enforcement Directorate conducting a parallel probe. The Food and Drug Safety Administration has clarified that codeine-based syrups, classified under Schedule H, are legal when sold on prescription, but violations arise when large quantities are distributed without proper documentation, often fuelling their misuse as intoxicants. FIRs have reportedly been lodged against 128 establishments across 28 districts under provisions of the BNS and the NDPS Act.

The former chief minister also alleged selective and discriminatory enforcement, claiming that bulldozer actions in the state have disproportionately targeted PDA communities — Pichhda, Dalit and Minorities. He questioned the credibility of the investigation, alleging that Special Task Force teams probing the syrup case were dominated by personnel from a single district and were “compromised”.

Extending his attack beyond the scam, Yadav accused the government of pressuring officials and interfering in electoral processes, alleging that voters’ names were being arbitrarily struck off rolls under the guise of a Special Intensive Revision exercise, which he likened to an “NRC”. He claimed collusion between the BJP and the Election Commission, an allegation the authorities have repeatedly denied.

Asserting that the ruling party was attempting to distract public attention by stoking emotive debates, Yadav said SP legislators would collectively corner the government in the Assembly over what he described as grave failures of governance and accountability.

With PTI inputs