People taking advantage of 'Netaji's' simplicity: Ram Gopal Yadav

As the Samajwadi Party tried to blame an "outsider" for the damage that has plunged the party into a crisis, party national General Secretary Ram Gopal Yadav, without taking anyone's name, said people are exploiting the good nature of party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav.

"People are exploiting the good nature of Mulayam Singh Yadav. There are some people who take advantage of Netaji's simplicity, and these people don't have the party's well being in mind," Ram Gopal told the media.

He further said that Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and his father and Mulayam Singh Yadav can have a meeting on Friday or day after.

Taking a jibe at Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi's "Khaat Sabha", Ram Gopal Yadav said Rahul Gandhi may say anything but we won't comment, adding what can we say about someone whose cot has been taken away.

Earlier in the day, Ram Gopal Yadav said it was wrong for the party to have removed Akhilesh Yadav from the Uttar Pradesh chief's post without consulting with him.

"Had the party asked him (Akhilesh) to quit the post in view of the elections and focus on the chief ministerial job and that he (Shivpal) will take up the state president's job, he would have resigned," Ramgopal, who is the SP's general secretary and a Rajya Sabha member, told reporters.

An open war broke out on Tuesday in the Samajwadi Party with Akhilesh Yadav stripping his uncle Shivpal Yadav of key ministerial portfolios, hours after his removal as the party's state unit chief and appointment of the latter in his place.

Akhilesh had yesterday said that if people from outside the family keep interfering how will things (government) work. However, SP leader Amar Singh refuses to accept that it might be him that the chief minister hinted at.