Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav claimed that he was instrumental in the elevation of veteran Socialist leader Chandrasekhar as the Prime Minister of India. Yadav said this while addressing a meeting to mark the 90th birth anniversary of Chandrasekhar.
After the VP Singh government put in its papers being reduced to a minority following the withdrawal of support by the BJP, Chandra Shekhar had taken over as PM in November 1990.
"Chandrasekhar ji had once said that if Mulayam Singh so desires then he could become the PM of India. I had good relations with Rajiv Gandhi and I raised this issue with him. Gandhi agreed with the condition that Kamla Morarka would not be inducted as a minister in Chandrasekhar's cabinet,’’ said Yadav.
The former Defence minister added, "However Chandrasekhar ji did not allow the humiliation of his close political associate and made Morarka a minister attached to the PMO.’’
"Chandrasekhar had to pay a price for fighting for the honour of his political associate and had to lose the office but he never gave up on friends and principles. He always consulted me whenever he had to take important decisions,’’ said Yadav.
lauding the former PM's role in strengthening the parliamentary democracy in the country, the SP chief said, "Coming from a humble background, Chandrasekhar rose to become the Prime Minister of India. He opposed the imposition of Emergency by Indira Gandhi in June 1975 and was detained under MISA.’’
Referring to his close ties with the former PM, Mulayam Singh said, "Chandrasekhar was a very frank, forthright and transparent person. We were in different streams of Socialist movement, yet it never posed a problem in our relations.’’
In his address, Chief minister Akhilesh Yadav said that it was the former PM's sincere desire that the next PM should be a person adhering to Socialism. ``Chandrasekhar was the first Socialist Pm but he held the office for a short period. But even in that period, he worked for the poor and downtrodden and relentlessly pursued the ideals of Socialism."
"let us collectively pledge today to follow the path shown by Chandrasekhar ji and Netaji (Mulayam Singh Yadav) as that is the only political model which is inclusive and can ensure the emancipation of masses still reeling under abject poverty,’’ said the CM.
Exhorting the cadres to take the Socialist movement forwardm the CM said, "In last five decades, leaders like Ram Manohar lohia, Chandrasekhar and Mulayam Singh gave new dimension to the Socialist movement. Now it’s the youth's responsibility to take this to a logical conclusion for the welfare of the people.’’
Akhilesh Yadav released a collection of speeches of Chandrasekhar in the lok Sabha in a book named 'Speeches in Parliament by Chandrasekhar the great'. UP Speaker, Mata Prasad Pandey, PWD minister Shivpal Yadav and several other ministers also addressed the meeting.