After over three months of crushing defeat in state assembly elections the opposition Samajwadi Party in its bid reinvent itself has appointed a fresh team of panelists who will participate in the TV News channel debates. The team includes the surprise return of the young leader Pankhuri Pathak. Pankhuri Pathak, following hate campaign with casteist overtones against her by Rs Yadav Sena’, she had resigned from the primary membership of the party in April.
Yadav Sena, a little known outfit claiming allegiance with the Samajwadi party president Akhilesh Yadav, had questioned the prominent role given to women that too from Brahmin community in the affairs of the party. Sena had alleged that prominent role given to upper caste women was sending confusing signals to the rank and file of the party and its core support base which comprise of OBCs and muslims.
Pankhuri Pathak after resigning from the party through a Face book post had retaliated and wondered that the reason behind the hate campaign is her gender and caste. She had said that there were many people in the Samajwadi Party who believe that a Brahmin female is a disgrace to the party.
She had also said that she has been ignoring the hate campaign for several days which started right after Samajwadi Party’s thumping defeat in the 2017 state assembly polls. She had further said in her FB post dignity and self-respect was more important than any political ambition.
She had however clarified that she will never join the BJP or any of its allies.
Her FB post had said, “With a very heavy heart I have to announce that I am officially leaving the Samajwadi Party. This is the most difficult decision of my life as my party is as dear to me as my family. I have the greatest respect for my leader Akhilesh Yadav and feel that he is one of the best leaders that this country has today. I wish him all the success from the very bottom of my heart.
‘’I have been associated with the party since the last 7 years since the time I was 18 years old.” She was the joint-secretary of the Delhi university students union at Hans Raj College and was in charge of the party’s student wing in Delhi.
The list of panelist list released by party spokesperson Rajendra Choudhury here on Sunday has only trusted lieutenants of the Samajwadi party president Akhilesh Yadav includes Anurag Bhadauriya, who had contested the last assembly polls on Congress ticket from lucknow.