No new party for now: Mulayam

Tribune News Service

Lucknow, September 25

Differentiating between Akhilesh Yadav the son and Akhilesh the Samajwadi Party national president, party founder Mulayam Singh Yadav on Monday said while his son had his blessings, he did not completely agree with latter’s decisions.

Addressing a press conference, Mulayam did not announce any new party, as was being speculated, but also did not rule out the possibility in the future.

Mulayam was, however, unsparing in his criticism of Akhilesh. On the former CM not fulfilling his promise of reinstalling him as the national party president after three months, he endorsed a quote by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Kannauj in the run-up to the Assembly elections, where the PM had said “a man who betrays his father cannot be loyal to anyone”.

“A person who is not true to his word cannot be trusted and will never succeed in life,” said Mulayam. “What can I say? Who can I trust?”

He said it was for Akhilesh to explain who the “aasteen ka saanp” (traitor in the house) was in his reference made during the party state convention last week.

On brother Shivpal Singh Yadav’s absence from the press meet, Mulayam said he had to leave for Etawah for some important engagement but reiterated he was with the Samajwadi Party.

While he reiterated his commitment to strengthen the party by bringing various factions together, he evaded questions about the possibility of a patch-up within the family and the party.

He made it clear that he would not attend SP national convention in Agra on October 5. He earlier attacked the Modi-led government at the Centre and the Yogi Aditynath government in UP for failing to fulfil their poll promises made to farmers and Shiksha Mitras, besides worsening the law and order problem. He condemned the lathi-charge at girl students of BHU, saying girls were not safe there any longer.