Rift in Samajwadi Party is over division of plundered money: BJP

The president of the Uttar Pradesh unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Keshav Prasad Maurya, on Monday said the ongoing rift in the Samajwadi Party is over the division of money plundered from the people of the state.

"It is quite clear from the Samajwadi Party's rift, that they have plundered the people of Uttar Pradesh and the fight is over the division of money," Maurya told ANI.

He said that both the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) are corrupt and the only way to get out of this corruption is to bring the BJP to power.

On Sunday, after being sacked from the Cabinet, Samajwadi Party state president Shivpal Yadav expelled party general secretary Ram Gopal Yadav from his position and the party for next six years.

"Ramgopal is involved with the BJP; he met BJP leaders thrice in the last few days. He is doing such things because his son Akshay Yadav and daughter-in-law are involved in a scam. To protect himself and his son, they are planning a conspiracy as per the direction of the BJP," Shivpal told a press conference here.

Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav sacked four ministers, including his uncle Shivpal Yadav from the state cabinet.

Narad Rai, Saiyyada Shadab Fatima and O.P. Singh were the other three leaders shown the door by the chief minister.