Akhilesh’s ‘poison’ charge in declining tea by UP cops sparks controversy

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Sunday declined to have tea offered to him at the UP Police Headquarters in Lucknow, saying he apprehends it may be “poisoned”.

Yadav had reached the police headquarters after a party office-bearer, Manish Jagan Agarwal, was arrested for allegedly making some indecent and derogatory remarks on social media against BJP leaders earlier in the day. Upset over Agarwal’s arrest, SP activists gathered outside the police headquarters, seeking his immediate release.

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Interestingly, a video of the entire episode was aired on several news channels, in which Yadav was heard saying, “I will not drink the tea of this place. I will have tea from outside. What if it is poisoned?” He didn’t stop there and went on to ask a party worker to check whether any tea shop was open in the vicinity.

Akhilesh also alleged that there was no senior official at the police headquarters when he visited it. “When I reached the police headquarters, there was no one inside. If there is no one to listen to in the headquarters, then imagine what would be the state of the rest of UP,” he told reporters.

On the other hand, Additional DG (law and order) Prashant Kumar said, “Since it was Sunday, officials were present as per requirement, and he spoke with them. Subsequently, officials who were present there offered him tea, and he had it.”

(With agency inputs)