Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav launched a fresh and scathing attack on the Uttar Pradesh government led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday. He accused the state administration of handling a massive codeine-based cough syrup drug racket with "kids gloves" and reiterated his allegation that the illicit syndicate flourished under official patronage.
Allegations of Collusion and a Patronage Network
In a strongly-worded statement, the former Chief Minister alleged that the investigation into the sprawling racket has been compromised from within. He claimed that members of the Special Task Force (STF), which was deployed by the government to probe the matter, were "hand in glove" with the accused. This alleged collusion, according to Yadav, is the primary reason why the investigations have failed to yield substantial results or reach logical conclusions.
"To probe the racket threadbare, the government should constitute a 'Syrup Task Force' comprising honest and dedicated officers," Yadav proposed as an alternative. He placed the ultimate responsibility for the racket's existence and expansion squarely on the shoulders of the state government. The SP chief argued that the administration, now realizing it is in deep trouble, is attempting to shift blame onto others. "This is a very old game for those in government, come up with something new," he chided.
A Multi-Crore, Multi-State Racket with Varanasi Roots
Yadav described the racket as a multi-thousand crore rupees operation that originated in Uttar Pradesh and spread its tentacles across multiple Indian states and even to other countries. He pinpointed Varanasi, the parliamentary constituency of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as the epicenter of this illegal trade.
"The racket worth thousands of crores of rupees, which originates from UP and spread across multiple states, enjoys the patronage of the BJP government. This is the reason government's bulldozers are silent on those involved in the racket," Yadav stated, drawing a contrast with the administration's often-publicized action against other alleged criminals.
The Samajwadi Party's official social media handle on platform X bolstered these claims by posting a series of photographs. One image featured Ambrish Singh Bhola of Varanasi, who was claimed to be close to the alleged syndicate kingpin, Shubham Jaiswal, who is currently evading arrest. Another photograph purportedly showed Jaiswal present at a Tiranga Yatra organized by Ambrish Singh on August 15. A third photo showed former MP and gangster-turned-politician Dhananjay Singh whispering something into Jaiswal's ear.
While Dhananjay Singh has acknowledged knowing a relative of Jaiswal, he has dismissed allegations of his own links to the accused as "politically motivated" and lacking substance.
Broader Accusations of Lawlessness
Expanding his critique beyond the drug racket, Akhilesh Yadav alleged that the BJP government's tenure has seen the flourishing of other illegal trades. He specifically pointed to activities of the land mafia at the district level. "At the district level, land mafia are indulging in rampant land grabbing and the poor are being dislodged from their land," he charged, painting a picture of widespread governance failure and lawlessness benefiting powerful interests.
The opposition leader's sustained attack keeps the spotlight on a significant law and order issue in India's most populous state, turning it into a major political weapon against the ruling dispensation ahead of future electoral battles.
