The battle of one upmanship between the Chief minister Akhilesh Yadav and his uncle , the state party president Shivpal Yadav again surfaced on Saturday during the silver jubilee foundation day programme of the ruling party.
Shivpal Yadav as state president had given the responsibility of anchoring the podium to the three former ministers Narad Rai, Om Prakash Singh and Shadab Fatima. All three were dismissed from the cabinet along with Shivpal Yadav on October 23. To embarrass the chief minister, the controversial minister Gyatri Prajapati, a political greenhorn was given a prominent role on the dais.
Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and SP state president Shivpal Yadav attacked each other without taking names. But what baffled the rank and file of the party that Shivpal Yadav pushed SP leader Javed Abdi and snatched his mike when he was addressing the gathering. Javed Abdi, a staunch supporter of Akhilesh, was lauding the works done by the CM when suddenly Mulayam Singh Yadav asked Shivpal that who allowed him to speak. Immediately Shivpal rushed and pushed Abdi away from the podium and snatched his mike. The scene created some anxiety among the guests attending the function but later everything cooled off when Abdi went off the dais.
Shivpal Yadav addressing the chief minister said "Kitna apmaan karoge, main apnaa khoon dene ko taiyar hun (how long are you going to insult me, I am even willing to shed my blood) I will never complain. You first snatched my portfolios and later dismissed me from the cabinet and I accepted that. Whatever duty was assigned to me by you I discharged my work with sincerity and to the best of my abilities. If anybody insults netaji I will never tolerate that and I have to live with Netaji’’.
Claiming that he welcomes the chief minister from the deepest corner of his heart Shivpal Yadav said `` chief minister felt bad when I had said some get rewarded by the destiny, some by hard work and destiny and some inherit the legacy and some do not any thing at all even after life long hard work’.
"The sycophants are ruling the roost in the government and are enjoying the pelf of power even by doing nothing for the party and the government and this is the reason that I had given the call to all the followers of Chowdhary Charan Singh and lohai to come under one platform’’.
"I want to assure Netaji I am willing to offer any sacrifice. Whether I have any office or not I am willing to work in the party as ordinary worker and I will ensure the compliance of your directions’’, said Shivpal Yadav in emotion packed voice.
listing his achievements during his over four year tenure in Akhilesh’s cabinet, Shivpal Yadav said `` the performance of all departments under me was far better then the departments held by the chief minister. Be it the PWD, irrigation, revenue and cooperative, all performed well and many things were for the first time in the history’’.
Training his guns at the expelled SP leader Ram Gopal Yadav, state SP president said `` there are some infiltrators between us who are out to create mischief all the time and foment trouble. I want to caution the rank and file of the party to beware of such elements’.
Akhilesh Yadav after his usual diatribe against the BJP replied in kind to his uncle. ``lohia had said people would heed him after his death and there are some in Samajwadi party who will hear after every thing is goes off the rails in the party. I am willing to stand any test’’, said the CM.
Replying to charge of insult leveled by his uncle, chief minister said `` the minister Gyatri Prajapati just gifted a sword and how is it possible to never to use that sword’’. The guest from other parties and senior SP leaders were felicitated with bouquet and silver sword by the minister Gyatri Prajapati.
Chief Minister softened and said `` I never claimed that the SP government in 2012 was formed due to my sole effort, everybody had contributed’’. He added `` I am willing to put any amount of hard work and want to assure the party cadres that the party will be voted back to the power’’.
Both daughter-in-laws of Mulayam, Dimple wife of Akhilesh and Aparna, wife of his second son Pratik were present on the dais. Both the 'bahus' of Mulayam were sitting side by side on the second row on the dais. later after the end of the function, Mulayam was seen departing along with Aparna in the car.