"Dalal" Amar Singh says will back Netaji's son, not Akhilesh

Rajya Sabha MP Amar Singh, who has been portrayed as an antagonist by the Akhilesh Yadav camp in the ongoing feud within the Samajwadi Party, today broke his silence and said that he may not be on board with the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, but will always back party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav's son.

"I may not be with CM Akhilesh, but I will always be with Mulayam Singh Yadav's son Akhilesh. The father of the SP and the Chief Minister are the same, and God stands as a testimony that whenever I spoke to Netaji, it was in favour of Akhilesh. Netaji also knows this truth," Singh told ANI in an exclusive conversation while responding to Akhilesh's allegations.

"When I was struggling for life and undergoing a dialysis, Netaji had come to meet me and he said there was a discussion on the issue of state president and when Akhilesh Yadav replaced Shivpal Yadav as the UP SP president, even then, I was blamed for it," he added.

The Rajya Sabha MP also attempted to play the emotional card in his bid to end the ongoing dispute in the Yadav clan.

"When his (Akhilesh's) family was opposing his marriage, I was the only who stood by him, but today I am hurt by his words. There is no photo of his wedding, where this 'dalal' is not there," he said while responding to the "dalal" allegation.

"It is possible to meet Rahul Gandhi, but meeting Akhilesh is difficult. If my 'bali' (sacrifice) can solve the problem, I am ready for it," he added.

Singh, who returned to the Samajwadi Party after six years in exile, has been accused by Akhilesh of instigating the current crisis that has deeply divided the Yadav family.

The chief minister's supporters allege that the Rajya Sabha MP is helping his uncle Shivpal Yadav plot his removal as the chief minister.

The Akhilesh camp also sees Singh's hand in Shivpal being made the Samajwadi Party's Uttar Pradesh chief in place of Akhilesh last month. This move gives Shivpal direct control of choosing candidates for the assembly elections next year.

However, the Samajwadi Party supremo had earlier this week described Singh as "my brother" and said that his past sins were forgiven.

He also reprimanded his son and backed the Chief Minister's bete noire Shivpal.