Oppn alleges illegal trade of codeine cough syrup, UP govt denies charge in assembly

Lucknow, Dec 22 (PTI) The Uttar Pradesh Assembly witnessed noisy scenes on the second day of the winter session on Monday as Samajwadi Party (SP) members created an uproar over the alleged illegal trade of codeine cough syrup, claiming that hundreds of children had died, a charge strongly denied by the government.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath strongly rebutted allegations by Leader of the Opposition Mata Prasad Pandey, asserting in the assembly that no such case has come to the notice of the state government so far.

He said the cases related to illegal diversion of the syrup were being pursued under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, and the state government successfully defended its stand in court.

Launching a sharp attack on the Samajwadi Party, Adityanath alleged that the largest wholesaler involved in the codeine syrup case, first arrested by the special task force (STF) in 2016, was issued a license when the SP was in power.

Replying to the issue raised by the opposition as soon as the House proceedings began, the chief minister said the matter appeared to be “politically motivated”.

He said, "There is not a single case of death due to fake drugs reported in Uttar Pradesh till date," and added that enforcement agencies remain vigilant.

"From time to time, the Food Safety and Drug Administration (FSDA) conducts raids and takes strict action against erring firms," Adityanath added.

He also categorically said, "There has been no death in Uttar Pradesh due to codeine syrup. Cases related to illegal diversion of the syrup were being pursued under the NDPS Act, and the state government successfully defended its stand in court." Adityanath clarified that codeine syrup is not manufactured in Uttar Pradesh, and the state only has stockists and wholesalers. Production takes place in states like Himachal Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.

The death cases that came to light were reported from other states and were linked to a syrup manufactured in Tamil Nadu, he said.

Calling the matter one of illegal diversion, not adulteration, the chief minister said wholesalers from districts including Saharanpur, Ghaziabad, Varanasi, Lucknow and Kanpur were involved in diverting the syrup to states and countries where prohibition exists, leading to its misuse.

"Such medicines cannot be consumed without medical advice, especially by children," he said, adding that the syrup was commonly prescribed by doctors for cough.

Detailing the action taken so far, Adityanath said the government had registered 79 cases, named 225 people and arrested 78 accused.

Raids have been conducted at 134 firms. Transactions linked to this racket are under STF investigation, and if one goes deeper, links to leaders or functionaries of the Samajwadi Party emerge, he alleged.

The chief minister assured the House that no offender would be spared.

"The government has fought this case in court and won. Do not worry, when the time comes, even bulldozer action will be taken (against those accused). Then do not raise slogans," he said.

Adityanath also attacked the opposition, saying that, "When an issue is raised unnecessarily, one is reminded of the saying 'Chor ke dadhi me tinka' (a guilty person feels the prick of straw in his beard)." Without taking names, he also took a jibe at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and SP president Akhilesh Yadav, saying, “There are two namoone in the country, one in Delhi and the other in Lucknow. Whenever there's a discussion in the country, these individuals run away.” Reacting to the chief minister's remark, SP president Akhilesh Yadav, in an X post, called the statement "an open admission of internal discord within the BJP". Noisy scenes were witnessed in the state assembly, with Samajwadi Party members creating an uproar during Question Hour, rushing into the well of the House and demanding a discussion on the alleged illegal trade of codeine cough syrup.

Raising the issue in the House, Leader of the Opposition Mata Prasad Pandey alleged that the codeine racket had spread "like a web" across the state, involved thousands of crores of rupees and claimed that hundreds of children had died.

As sloganeering continued, Speaker Satish Mahana repeatedly urged the opposition members to return to their seats, stating that they had given a notice under Rule 56 seeking a discussion and would be informed when the matter was taken up.

Rejecting the allegations, Parliamentary Affairs and Finance Minister Suresh Kumar Khanna said the opposition was making "incorrect statements" and reiterated that "not a single death has occurred in Uttar Pradesh due to codeine cough syrup".

Earlier Monday morning, SP legislators staged a protest outside the Vidhan Bhavan near the statue of Chaudhary Charan Singh, holding placards and raising anti-government slogans.

Responding to the attack, Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya said the Samajwadi Party is an "issue-less" party, and it has lost its political ground.

"In 2027 polls, the number of its MLAs would be reduced to the extent that they will be accommodated in one car!" Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak said, "This (protest) is their only job to not allow the functioning of the House. When they are in power, they let out their goons to stall work." Countering the SP attack, UP Social Welfare Minister Asim Arun said it is clear which party's people are involved in the trafficking of the codeine-based syrups. "Staging this protest is just an attempt to cover up their deeds," he said.

"The ED and the police are investigating this matter. Under Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's tenure, action has always been ensured (against crime and criminals) and will be taken against culprits in this matter also," the former IPS officer-turned-lawmaker said.

Uttar Pradesh Police is probing an alleged illegal network involved in the storage and distribution of highly regulated codeine-laced cough syrups across the state.

A Special Investigation Team (SIT) is examining diversion of medicines, financial transactions and links among the accused, with officials citing evidence of super-stockists and cross-border trafficking to Nepal and Bangladesh. PTI AR ABN KIS OZ OZ