Shivpal organises separate birthday celebration in SP patron’s absence
The Samajwadi Party celebrated the 81st birthday of its founder Mulayam Singh Yadav at the party headquarters here on Friday.
Flanked by his son and party president Akhilesh Yadav as well as senior leaders, Mulayam cut the birthday cake amid loud cheers from party workers and leaders.
Shivpal Singh Yadav celebrated Mulayam’s birthday separately in absence of the big brother.
On the occasion, an 81-kg laddoo was presented to Mulayam by SP leaders. Sweets were distributed among the workers in presence of Mulayam.
Shivpal, on the other hand, rushed to Saifai in Etawah where he celebrated the birthday of his elder brother as Ekta Diwas and also organised a wrestling competition.
Addressing party workers and leaders after cutting the cake, Mulayam, who arrived here from Delhi on Thursday evening, asked them to celebrate the birthday of the poor party workers.
“You all celebrate the birthday of the poor, and I will also attend it,” he told the enthused workers who raised slogans.
The SP patriarch attacked the Governments at the Centre as well as in UP, saying farmers were in distress and youths were unemployed. “Don’t tolerate injustice and organise yourself to protest against the prevailing situation as this will strengthen the party,” he said.
Earlier, it was said Mulayam would be in Delhi on his birthday due to the ongoing session of Parliament.
In Lucknow, banners and hoardings were put up outside the party office, which wore a festive look with party workers dancing to the tunes of drums and distributing fruit and sweets. The SP leadership had directed all the district presidents of the party to organise birthday celebration in their districts.
A week ahead of Mulayam’s birthday, Shivpal, who is president of Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party (Lohia), had softened his stand towards nephew Akhilesh and offered to bury the hatchet and join hands with the SP and support Akhilesh as the Chief Minister candidate in the 2022 UP Assembly polls. He had also suggested joint celebration on Mulayam’s birthday.
Shivpal and Akhilesh had parted company in 2016, at the fag end of the SP regime. Akhilesh had later dismissed his uncle from the Cabinet.