Initial probe suggests cough syrup scam has Samajwadi Party links: Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath

Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday said some people arrested for alleged involvement in supplying illegal codeine-based cough syrup have links to the Samajwadi Party.

"Everyone knows that every 'mafia' group has ties with the Samajwadi Party," Adityanath told reporters ahead of the beginning of the Winter session of the UP assembly.

The chief minister said the Legislative Assembly will not likely see any business on Friday due to the sudden death of an MLA. But the government will respond to any questions on the matter in the legislative council and if it is raised outside the House, he said.

"However, initial investigation have revealed that some of the men arrested by the STF (special task force) or UP Police have links to the Samajwadi Party. The involvement of Samajwadi Party, which is already notorious and has a tarnished reputation, will also come to light since a state-level SIT is monitoring the entire case, and officers from the UP Police and the FSDA are part of it," Adityanath said.

Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Thursday alleged that a massive scam involving the illegal supply of codeine-based cough syrups running into thousands of crores originated in Uttar Pradesh and accused the BJP government of shielding those involved.

Addressing a press conference at the party headquarters here after a meeting of the SP MLAs, Yadav added that the racket started from the "area of Pradhan Sansad" (Varanasi MP), targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

He said several important issues to be raised in the upcoming session of the assembly were discussed, with the alleged codeine and cough syrup racket being a major concern.

Taking a jibe at Yadav on Friday, Adityanath said the SP chief was "cleaning the mirror to remove dust from his face".

He said details of illegal transactions will come to light somewhere. "Let the investigation proceed. The truth will be revealed to everyone," Adityanath said.

The UP CM said codeine phosphate used in manufacture of cough syrup containing codeine falls under the NDPS Act and the central narcotics bureau regulates its use.

In this case, the state government acted after complaints of its misuse as a narcotic substance in many places and illegal trafficking, Adityanath said.

The Uttar Pradesh government through the Food and Drug Safety Administration (FDSA), UP Police, and STF are involved in the investigation and so far, large-scale illegal trafficking operation has been uncovered numerous people have been arrested, Adityanath added.

The FDSA officials have said that codeine-based syrups fall under Schedule H and are legal if sold against prescription, but violations occur when large quantities are supplied without documentation, often facilitating their abuse as intoxicants.

Officials said FIRs have been lodged against 128 establishments across 28 districts under relevant sections of the BNS and the NDPS Act.