New Delhi, Dec 21 (IANS) The political sparring over the alleged Codeine cough syrup racket intensified on Sunday after the JD(U) national spokesperson Rajeev Ranjan Prasad launched a sharp attack on Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav, accusing his party of making unfounded allegations out of political desperation ahead of the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections.
Reacting to Akhilesh Yadav’s remarks linking the alleged racket to the Prime Minister’s parliamentary constituency, Prasad said the Samajwadi Party has developed a habit of levelling serious charges without substantiating them with facts. He claimed that the “so-called big Lok Sabha victory” projected by the SP is now being exposed layer by layer.
“The reality is that the Samajwadi Party is standing on the verge of a major defeat. This is the reason it resorts to baseless allegations. Instead of introspection, SP leaders are trying to mislead the public with fabricated narratives,” Prasad said.
Earlier, Akhilesh Yadav, addressing a press conference, made strong claims regarding the alleged illegal Codeine cough syrup trade. “…A state’s Chief Minister lies, and those standing with him also lie. You can’t imagine that an illegal cough syrup business is operating from the Prime Minister’s parliamentary constituency… And it’s worth thousands of crores. This is an international issue…,” Yadav alleged.
The SP chief further claimed that the racket was much larger than what was being projected publicly. “This is not a matter of Rs 100 or 200 crore. What is being heard is that it involves around 700 companies and transactions worth several thousand crore rupees,” he said, demanding strict action against all those involved, irrespective of political affiliation.
Responding to these remarks, Prasad accused the SP leader of politicising serious issues and attempting to divert attention from its own shortcomings. He said selective use of headlines and imagery does not substitute for evidence and accused the opposition of running a misinformation campaign.
Separately, Prasad also criticised the Congress party, accusing it of selectively presenting India’s freedom struggle. “Why does Congress limit the history of India’s freedom movement only to Gandhi and Nehru? Why does it forget the sacrifices of leaders like Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, Rajendra Prasad, Sachchidananda Sinha and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel?” he asked.
He alleged that Congress has reduced itself to a “Gandhi family-centric party” and is attempting to erase even its own broader historical legacy.
–IANS
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