Contending that Akhilesh Yadav had squandered his mandate, prominent Shia cleric and scholar Maulana Kalbe Sadiq has called for a change of guard with his father Mulayam Singh Yadav replacing him as Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister.
Talking to reporters, Kalbe Sadiq, vice-president of the All India Muslim Personal law Board, said the time had come when Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Mulayam Singh Yadav should take over the reins of the State, where Muslims comprise nearly 20 percent of its 200 million people.
“People are very unhappy and if the ruling establishment wants to arrest the downslide in its popularity, there is only one option... Mulayam Singh becoming the Chief Minister,” he said, adding that his maturity might bring back some semblance of governance in the State. Terming Akhilesh as not mature enough and “too young” for the hot seat, the Shia cleric said Mulayam Singh can keep him as his deputy.