Fissures have appeared in Samajwadi Party as its national general secretary Anuradha Chaudhry, who was stripped of her Minister of State status early this week, quit the party saying Government had failed to control Muzaffarnagar riots that led to death of so many innocent people.
“The party ignored the plight of the people. When the people needed Government support the most it was not there. I resigned because the Government was responsible for the Muzaffarnagar riots,” she told reporters on Friday after quitting the party post.
She tendered her resignation of Samajwadi Party national president Mulayam Singh Yadav after meeting him at his residence. She said she was of the opinion that the Government did not take timely action to stop Muzaffarnagar riots and even party failed to reach the people. This led to its electoral defeat. Chaudhry said.
Chaudhry, a former Irrigation minister, had joined Samajwadi Party around a year back after she developed bad blood with Rashtriya lok dal’s chief Ajit Singh. At that time she was considered a big catch and Mulayam had immediately made her national general secretary.
She was among 36 leaders having status of minister of state in the SP government who were sacked by Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on May 20. These leaders were blamed for party’s ignominious defeat in the election.
“The blame should go to one man who is the most powerful minister in Akhilesh Yadav Government and he is Md Azam Khan. He is instrumental in triggering riots in Muzaffarnagar and he is the man who interferes in every work in Western Uttar Pradesh,” she said.
Chaudhry said Md Azam Khan was in-charge of Muzaffarnagar but ask Chief Minister as how many times he had gone there. “I had met Neta ji (Mulayam Singh Yadav) and Chief Miniuser Akhilesh ji and apprised them of the growing resentment among people against the Samajwadi Party Government. They did not listen to me then,” she said.