Samawajdi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav's warring uncle Shivpal Yadav will formally launch `Samajwadi Secular Front’ on July 6. The new outfit will not be a political party, instead only a `political front’ to operate within the Samajwadi Party. Mulayam Singh Yadav will be its chairman and Shivpal will be its convenor.
"Right now, Samajwadi Party is a pale shadow of its past. After the elections, the SP lost the core support base and hence there is a need for floating the secular front to strengthen the party,’’ said Shivpal Yadav.
"All preparations for floating the front have been completed. A big convention of Socialist leaders and others having faith in secular and socialist values will be invited to the convention. Over a lakh people are expected to participate in the day-long convention in lucknow on July 6,’’ said Shivpal in lucknow on Wednesday.
"Mulayam Singh Yadav will head the front and I will be its national convenor. The most remarkable feature of the new outfit will be that there will be no space for turncoats, sycophants and all those who had ditched the Samajwadi Party in the past,’’ said the former UP minister. He added that all other decisions like election of office bearers will be taken by Mulayam Singh Yadav.
Asking Akhilesh Yadav to step down from the post of the SP's national president, Shivpal said, "Akhilesh should muster the courage and own moral responsibility for the shameful debacle of the party in recent Assembly poll.’’
"During the elections, Akhilesh had promised to vacate the post of national president for Netaji. He must honour his words. I have already given much time to Akhilesh and he had enough time to decide this issue. Besides, it has been a SP tradition that the president resigns if the party was defeated in elections,’’ said Shivpal Yadav.
However, Shivpal did not forget to express his affection for his nephew. "Akhilesh is like my son. I love him as he is my nephew. He must realise that the family has the precedence over the party and Akhilesh has to decide as to how to save the party and the family both,’’ said he.
Without naming SP general secretary and cousin Ram Gopal Yadav, Shivpal Yadav said, "The Delhiwala leader is the real villain and behind all the trouble in the family and party. Akhilesh lacks the capacity to identify between foe and friend and he should come out from the influence from that Delhi wala leader.’’
On the BJP government, Shivpal said, "All those who used to carry the flag of Samajwadi Party and raised slogans in favour of Akhilesh have obtained the saffron scarf and switched loyalties to the BJP. These very persons are creating law and order problems for the BJP government. These people are involved in illegal activities like occupying land and public property. I have always fought the dominance of such elements within the SP. Having said this, I must say that Yogi Adityanath government has failed to control law and order and the situation is deteriorating with each passing day."
Denying any irregularities in the execution of Gomti Riverfront project, Shivpal said, "As long as I was the Irrigation minister, everything was done as per rules. I am not responsible for what happened after I demitted the office in October 2016.’’