Akhilesh Yadav Turns Yogi Adityanath’s ‘Do Namune’ Jibe into Political Counterattack Amid Codeine Racket Row

New Delhi, December 22, 2025 A political exchange between Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav escalated on Monday, after Adityanath referred to Yadav and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi as “do namune” or “two specimens” during a speech in the state assembly. The jibe, aimed at the opposition over their responses to the alleged codeine-based cough syrup racket, was quickly turned back on the ruling party by Akhilesh Yadav, who suggested that the remark exposed internal rifts within the BJP. Speaking in the assembly, Yogi Adityanath criticized the opposition for allegedly avoiding accountability, saying, “There are two specimens in the country. One sits in Delhi and the other in Lucknow. Whenever there is any discussion on any issue, they immediately flee the country. I think the same thing is happening with your ‘Babua’ (child). He will also leave the country again for a trip to England, and you people will keep shouting here.” The Chief Minister’s comments were seen as part of an ongoing verbal battle over allegations of a codeine cough syrup smuggling network. Responding swiftly on X, Akhilesh Yadav described Yogi Adityanath’s remark as an “own goal,” suggesting it revealed discord within the ruling party rather than merely targeting the opposition. He wrote, “Aatma-sweekriti (Self-own). No one expected the Delhi-Lucknow feud to escalate to this point. People holding constitutional posts should at least maintain public decorum and not cross the bounds of propriety. BJP folks should not bring their internal squabbles out to the crossroads. If someone takes offence, they might have to backtrack.” The tension comes in the context of a larger dispute over the alleged codeine cough syrup racket. Last week, Akhilesh Yadav claimed at a press conference that the racket originated from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s parliamentary constituency, prompting sharp criticism and rebuttals from the BJP. Adityanath countered by accusing the opposition of hypocrisy, using the Hindi proverb “chor ki dadhi me tinka” (a guilty conscience shows in one’s behavior) to imply that the Samajwadi Party was deflecting attention from its own links. The Chief Minister also detailed the government’s action against the alleged smuggling network. According to him, the Uttar Pradesh government has registered 79 cases, named 225 accused, and arrested 78 individuals, with raids carried out on 134 firms connected to the racket. He maintained that no deaths had occurred due to spurious syrups in the state and warned that the government would continue its crackdown, adding, “No accused in this case will escape. And don’t worry, when the time comes, preparations will also be made for bulldozer action. Don’t complain then.” Political analysts suggest that the exchange reflects both parties’ attempt to control the narrative around the codeine racket while highlighting the growing tension between state and central leadership within the BJP. Akhilesh Yadav’s quick response to turn the “do namune” remark into a critique of the ruling party’s alleged internal conflict indicates a strategy to portray BJP infighting while defending his own political stance. As the codeine racket investigation continues and the political debate heats up, both parties are expected to maintain a strong media presence, using such verbal exchanges to reinforce their narratives among supporters. With public interest high and the case under judicial scrutiny, the spat between Yogi Adityanath and Akhilesh Yadav adds another layer of complexity to Uttar Pradesh’s already charged political environment. Akhilesh Yadav Turns Yogi Adityanath’s ‘Do Namune’ Jibe into Political Counterattack Amid Codeine Racket Row A sharp exchange unfolded between Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Monday after Adityanath referred to Yadav and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi as “do namune” or “two specimens” during a state assembly speech. The remark, aimed at criticizing the opposition over the alleged codeine cough syrup racket, quickly became a political talking point. Yogi Adityanath said, “There are two specimens in the country. One sits in Delhi and the other in Lucknow. Whenever there is any discussion on any issue, they immediately flee the country. I think the same thing is happening with your ‘Babua’. He will also leave the country again for a trip to England, and you people will keep shouting here.” Akhilesh Yadav responded swiftly on X, turning the jibe around and suggesting it revealed internal conflicts within the BJP. He tweeted, “Aatma-sweekriti (Self-own). No one expected the Delhi-Lucknow feud to escalate to this point. People holding constitutional posts should maintain decorum and not bring internal squabbles to the public.” The remarks come amid a larger controversy over the alleged codeine racket. Last week, Akhilesh Yadav claimed the racket originated from the Prime Minister’s parliamentary constituency, prompting strong pushback from the BJP. Adityanath detailed his government’s action, saying 79 cases have been registered, 225 accused named, and 78 arrested, with raids conducted on 134 firms. He also warned that no accused will escape and preparations for strict action, including bulldozer measures, are in place. Political analysts suggest the exchange reflects attempts from both sides to control the narrative around the cough syrup case while highlighting tensions within the ruling party. The spat has drawn public attention and added another layer to Uttar Pradesh’s political scene.