‘What if it’s poisoned?’ says Akhilesh Yadav refusing police station tea

PTI, Jan 8, 2023, 5:50 PM IST

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Sunday refused to have tea offered to him at the UP Police Headquarters apparently joking it may be “poisoned.” A Samajwadi Party office bearer, Manish Jagan Agarwal, was arrested here earlier in the day for allegedly making indecent and derogatory remarks on social media.

Angry over Agarwal’s arrest, scores of SP workers gathered outside the Uttar Pradesh Police headquarters demanding his immediate release.

Yadav, while he was at the headquarters, was offered tea, which he refused.

In a video which was flashed on several news channels, Yadav was heard saying, “I will not drink the tea of this place. I will have tea from outside. What if it’s poisoned?” Yadav went on to ask a worker to see if any tea shop was open in the neighbourhood.

He also said there was no senior at the police station when he went there.

“When I reached the Police Headquarters, there was no one inside. If there is no one to listen to in the Police Headquarters, then imagine what would be the state of the rest of UP,” Yadav told reporters.

Additional DG Law and order Prashant Kumar, later in his response, said “Since it was Sunday, officials were present as per requirement, and he spoke with them.” “Subsequently, officials who were present here offered him tea, and he had tea,” he added.