A day after Mulayam Singh admitted that it was the worst mistake of his life to appoint Akhilesh Yadav as the Chief Minister, his daughter-in-law Aparna Yadav asked Akhilesh to step down from the post of party president.
Aparna had unsuccessfully contested the recent Assembly poll from lucknow Cantonment seat. In recent days, Aparna has heaped praises on the Yogi Adityanath government.
``Akhilesh Bhaiyya is known for honouring his words. So far whatever he said, he has delivered. Hence, he should step down from the post of SP president and restore `Netaji’ as the national president,’’ said Aparna Yadav.
Akhilesh Yadav had almost usurped the post of national president of Samajwadi Party from his father on January 1 this year. He had however promised to reinstate his father Mulayam Singh to the top post after three months, which has not happened till date.
“Yogi government is not a one man show. In his party and government, all decisions are taken after due consultations. In regional parties, one person issues a diktat and everybody is required to comply with that. The regional parties are like Hitler’s units,” said Aparna at a programme in lucknow on Monday.
“Yogi Adityanathji is a self-made person. He was elected to the Parliament at the young age of 26 years and has been elected five terms hence. Now he is the chief minister and we all should respect him. Yogi government is doing well. So far, the CM has not given the opportunity to Opposition parties to criticise his government,’’ said Aparna.
Mulayam’s ‘chhoti bahu’ also seem on the same page with Akhilesh Yadav on the issues of Anti-Romeo squad and tampering of EVMs. She defended Yogi government’s decision to deal with the menace of eve-teasing and harassment of women in public places.
“Instead of criticising the move, everybody should look at it in a more positive way. Romeo is a cult ccharacter of English literature but ruffians loafers are often referred to as `roadside Romeo’. This squad has immensely benefited college /school girls and working women. The Yogi government has also acted against erring policemen following complaints,’’ argued Aparna Yadav.
The young leader also rejected repeated allegations by president Yadav on the EVMs being tampered during the elections which led to the worst-ever poll debacle for Samajwadi Party.
``No such thing like tampering with the EVMs happened during the Assembly elections. The same machines were used in 2000 Assembly poll and then BSP was voted to power. later in 2012 poll, the EVMs were used and SP stormed to power. Hence the tampering charge holds little ground. We need to revisit our political and electoral strategy and do honest introspection about causes of SP’s defeat,’’ maintained Aparna.
The SP patron’s younger daughter-in-law described the inquiry ordered by Yogi government into several projects implemented during Akhilesh regime as `routine process.
``In 2012, when the SP was voted to power, it had ordered probe into construction of myriad parks, statues and memorials of Dalit icons by the BSP government. It’s a routine process and it happens in all states and at the Centre,’’ pointed out Aparna Yadav.