Family spat only issue which concerns UP government now: BSP

Lucknow: The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) on Monday came down heavily on the Samajwadi Party and said the only thing which concerns the Uttar Pradesh government is the ongoing family spat. 

BSP leader Sudheendra Bhadauria said the meeting and gathering between the Samajwadi Party leaders will not yield anything. “For the last four and half years since Samajwadi Party has come to power, we have seen there is complete chaos in administration. There has been no development, they are just concentrating on the family loop and that is what this government is all about. Meeting after meetings is going on. These meetings will not yield anything,” said Bhadauria.

Extremely upset with the ongoing rift within the family and party, Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav earlier in the day reprimanded his son Akhilesh Yadav and said that the priority at this point of time should be to decrease the differences instead of fighting with each other.

“I am extremely upset with the rift within the party. I know it’s a difficult situation. Those who can’t take criticism cannot become leaders,” said Mulayam.

Read: After shouting match with son, Mulayam calls Akhilesh-Shivpal meet

“We are fighting among ourselves. We should decrease our differences. Those who are indulging in sloganeering will be thrown out of the party. I have given respect to the youth and no one else,” he added.

Lauding his younger brother Shivpal Yadav as the “leader of masses”, the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister said that his immense contribution to the party can never be forgotten.

“We can never be separated. I can’t leave Amar Singh or Shivpal Yadav. All of Amar Singh’s sins are forgiven,” Mulayam said.

Monday’s meeting takes place a day after Sunday’s dramatic events when Akhilesh sacked his uncle Shivpal Yadav from his Cabinet for the second time in a month. Many considered this to be a direct challenge to his father Mulayam, who has been promoting Shivpal over him.

Hours later, Mulayam ordered the expulsion of his cousin Ram Gopal Yadav, considered to be Akhilesh loyalist, from the party for six years.

This was announced by Shivpal, who alleged that Ram Gopal was tarnishing the Samajwadi Party’s image by colluding with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and attempting to weaken Mulayam’s hold on the party.

Meanwhile, the supporters of both Akhilesh and Shivpal gathered outside the party office in Lucknow and engaged in competitive sloganeering.

The opposition parties are keeping a close tab on Monday’s meeting amid speculations that the Samajwadi Party is headed for a split just before assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh.