No one is trying to convince me: Mulayam

Samajwadi Party Chief Mulayam Singh Yadav said Saturday that the Congress has not tried to convince him to change his decision onsupporting the Food Security Bill, which would be discussed in the Monsoon Session of Parliament.

"No one is trying to convince me. There is a possibility they might call for an all-party meeting to discuss this issue. But so far, there has been no discussion," he said.

Yadav, however, said that he is opposed to the Food Security Bill in its present format.

According to reports, the Samajwadi Party is likely to support the Food Security Ordinance during the Monsoon Session of Parliament that begins from August 5.

The Samajwadi Party had earlier opposed the Food Bill, saying it was anti-farmer.

The Congress, which needs the Samajwadi Party's support for other crucial bills in Parliament like Pensions and Insurance Bill as well, could help Mulayam Singh Yadav in corruption cases against him.

The biggest challenge for Mulayam at the moment is to get clean chit in disproportionate assets case. The Samajwadi Party supremo's review petition against an Election Commission order is pending in the Supreme Court.

In November 2005, Rae Bareli advocate Vishvanath Chaturvedi filed a PIL in the Supreme Court seeking a CBI inquiry into the assets of Mulayam Singh Yadav, sons Akhilesh and Prateek, and daughter-in-law Dimple.

He alleged the family had acquired properties in Lucknow, Etawah, etc, worth over Rs 100 crore, which were disproportionate to their known sources of income.