UP CM Yogi’s ‘2 Namoones’ Barb Over Codeine Row Draws Sharp Retort From Akhilesh Yadav

Addressing the House, the Chief Minister said no deaths had occurred in the state due to codeine syrup and warned of strict action, including bulldozer action, against those involved in its manufacture and illegal trade. He also announced that cases would be pursued under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday stepped up his attack on the opposition during a heated debate in the Legislative Assembly over the alleged codeine cough syrup controversy, dismissing reports of deaths linked to the drug and taking a pointed swipe at two opposition leaders.

Addressing the House, the Chief Minister said no deaths had occurred in the state due to codeine syrup and warned of strict action, including bulldozer action, against those involved in its manufacture and illegal trade. He also announced that cases would be pursued under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.

“There are two namoones in the country, one sitting in Delhi and one in Lucknow. Whenever there is a discussion on any issue, they immediately flee the country,” he said, in an apparent reference to Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi and Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav, without naming them.

CM Yogi further alleged that a key accused in the case had been granted a licence during the Samajwadi Party’s tenure. He told the Assembly that the biggest wholesaler, first arrested by the Special Task Force, had received a licence in 2016 when the SP was in power.

The remarks came amid protests by opposition legislators inside and outside the Assembly, demanding a discussion on the issue.

Akhilesh Yadav, however, swiftly countered the Chief Minister’s comments, giving them a political twist. Interpreting the “two namoones” remark as an admission of dual power centres within the BJP, he suggested it reflected an internal struggle between the party’s central leadership in Delhi and the state government in Lucknow.

In a post on X, the SP chief said the alleged Delhi–Lucknow rift had now become public and cautioned the state leadership against antagonising the party high command. “People holding constitutional positions should maintain public decorum and not cross the limits of propriety. BJP leaders should not air their internal disputes in public. If someone takes offence somewhere, you may be forced to backtrack,” he wrote.

(With IANS inputs)