Claiming all was well within the party, senior Samajwadi Party leader Prof Ram Gopal Yadav rallied behind ChiefMinister Akhilesh Yadav saying that the party brass erred in removing Akhilesh from state chief's post without taking him into confidence.
"There was a minor mistake by the party leadership had Akhilesh been informed about his removal, there would not have been any crisis. the party brass should have taken Akhilesh into confidence. One small error has landed the party in a situation,” Prof Yadav told a group of select journalists in lucknow on Thursday.
He said that if Akhilesh was asked to step down he would have done that. "No one disobeys Netaji. He should have been asked to focus on the CM’s job and hand over the party post to Shivpal and Akhilesh would have agreed," said Yadav.
The Professor however sounded confident that the issue would be resolved once Mulayam Singh Yadav and Akhilesh speak to each other.
"There is no crisis (in the party)… the crisis is in your mind. let neta ji come and everything will be sorted out. One letter created this crisis. Akhilesh acted in a jiffy and took a strong step. I can say everything has been sorted out,” said the SP ideologue.
Incidentally, the letter sacking Akhilesh from the party presidentship was signed by Prof Ram Gopal Yadav himself. He explained “I was asked by Neta ji to replace Akhilesh with Shivpal as state chief. He was angry. I did not have the courage to ask him questions. There was no time to seek any clarification."
"I did what I was asked to do. Before that I spoke to Akhilesh and he informed me that Netaji had called and rebuked him. Akhilesh said that if I have been asked to issue the sack letter I should issue that,” Prof Yadav said.
He said every action has its reaction. Stripping Shivpal of portfolios was Akhilesh’s answer of removing him from the post of state president.
When asked who are the people who brainwashed Netaji,Prof Yadav said: ''There are some people who take advantage of Netaji's humility. They are not concerned about the party's welfare. He always tried to damage the party (without taking Amar Singh’s name)."
On his meeting with Akhilesh Yadav, Prof. Yadav said: "I can only say that he is not angry. He too now feels that what has happened is not good for the party and is confident that the issue will be sorted out at the earliest.”
The SP leader had rushed to lucknow this morning on the directives of SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav. On Wednesday, he had a meeting with Mulayam Singh in Delhi and then was told to come to lucknow to douse the family fire that threatens the prospects of the SP ahead of the coming elections.
The crisis pecipitated after Akhilesh sacked ministers Gayatri Prasad Prajapati and Raj Kishore Singh on Monday and then removed Chief Secretary Deepak Singhal the following day. However the same day, Mulayam removed Akhilesh from the post of the state SP president which he had been holding since June 2009 and eplaced him with brother Shivpal. Irked bythis, Akhilesh then divested his uncle of all important departments.