'Struggle' between father, son is never good: Rajnath on SP feud

As the conflict within the Samajwadi Party showed no signs of abating even as Mulayam Singh Yadav and his son Akhilesh Yadav battle over the party's symbol 'cycle', Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday said the struggle between a father and son is never good.

"The struggle' between father and son is never good. The required expulsion is over. The next government will bear the brunt. But we cannot express happiness over any family dispute," Singh said.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav's mentor and uncle Ram Gopal Yadav earlier in the day staked claim to the party's symbol 'cycle' before the Election Commission while stating that 90 percent of the MLAs are backing the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister.

This comes a day after Akhilesh's father and party patron Mulayam Singh Yadav staked claim to the same while asserting that the Samajwadi Party's "election symbol is my signature".

Amid a bitter family feud that has torn apart Uttar Pradesh's ruling party, Mulayam earlier said that election symbol is his signature.

Mulayam on Monday claimed that the symbol - with its easy and established recall - should be considered his political property.

The 77-year-old veteran visited the Election Commission's office on Monday evening, accompanied by his trusted advisor and younger brother Shivpal Yadav.

At a party gathering on Sunday in Lucknow, Akhilesh was named president of the Samajwadi Party.

He then pushed his father into retirement by declaring he would now function as patron and mentor.

Mulayam and his aides like Shivpal Yadav and Amar Singh have insisted his faction is the legit Samajwadi Party.