Samajwadi Party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav on Wednesday accused his cousin and Rajya Sabha member Ram Gopal Yadav of conspiring to split the party in connivance of the BJP, and asked his son Akhilesh Yadav to keep
away from the influence of the conspirator.
Hinting at Ram Gopal, Mulayam said, “I know who met the president of another party thrice. He wants to save his son (Akshay Yadav, party MP from Ferozabad) and daughter-in-law. He should have approached me. I would have saved them… I asked them (rival camp) not to dispute. I want unity in the party. I am neither making new party not changing our symbol…I know who is forming Akhil Bhartiya Samajwadi Party (ABSP) and desiring motorcycle symbol.”.
Amid the ongoing tussle in the party, Mulayam asserted that he would not allow the SP to be split. In his address to party workers at the SP headquarters in lucknow before leaving for New Delhi, Mulayam turned emotional, saying he has given whatever he had to the party and Akhilesh. “I have given whatever I had. What is left with meIJ I only have you (workers) all,” he said.
“Akhilesh is Chief Minister and he will be the next CM also. Why are you (Akhilesh) going to these persons...Don’t drag yourself in dispute. We want unity in party at any cost,” said Mulayam.
He added, “Akhilesh was only two years old when Emergency was imposed and I was jailed in Varanasi, Mainpuri and other places. Despite facing acute poverty, I left the family and established the Samajwadi Party.
It was your dedication that within 11 months of the formation, the SP came to power in UP.’’
It was widely speculated in the party that Mulayam was likely to make some big announcements on Wednesday, but he didn’t. Mulayam said, “I have nothing against Akhilesh. I have already told him that he would be the next Chief Minister. I only want him to stay away from Ram Gopal. I have stressed on this several times, but he in unwilling.’’
Reiterating his resolve to protect the SP’s unity, Mulayam Singh said, “The people have made me the leader and I will never allow the party to split. I want the party’s unity at any cost. We have to save the party. I am neither going to float a new political party nor changing the election symbol.’’
later Mulayam Singh and Shivpal Yadav left for New Delhi in the afternoon. Earlier in the day, there were hectic parleys at the residence of Mulayam Singh, where expelled SP leader and MlA from Ayodhya Taj Narain Pandey met the party patriarch. Shivpal Yadav too was closeted with Mulayam for about 45 minutes. The Akhilesh camp on Wednesday also held meeting with Ministers, MlAs and other core group members at the CM’s official residence.