Mulayam Singh Yadav woos Muslims at start of 'Mulayam Sandesh Yatra'

To woo Muslims, Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav on Saturday said minorities helped his party come to power after the Babri Masjid was demolished in Ayodhya and claimed that SP will return to power in the state again.

"When BJP pulled down the Babri masjid in Ayodhya, Muslims helped my party form government ...Muslims are not against us...We did not kill anyone in Ayodhya yet case was lodged against us," Mulayam Singh said at a function to kickstart "Mulayam Sandesh Yatra" at the party headquarters here.

Exhorting partymen, Yadav said, "There is a need to bring more women and Muslims in the party...Muslims are not against us....Even Muslim leaders of other parties do not speak against us..Muslims are the most backward and our government worked for their development, we started recruitment and today there are constables of the community in each police station."

Referring to the famous chikan work of Lucknow, Yadav said they are made by Muslim artisans and asked youth in the party to take a resolve for bringing SP back to power.

"The youth have still not got jobs...This time round when we come back to power all will get employment..None of the youth will be without work," he said.

The SP chief regretted that women were not associated with the party in good numbers as leaders and workers do not encourage it and give them enough respect. "There should have been 500 girls in today's meeting instead of 50," he said.

Yadav claimed once the SP yatra gets going, all similar yatras of different parties will be left behind.

He claimed all the promises of 2012 election were fulfilled two years ago and many more works were undertaken later which were not a part of the manifesto.

Terming the upcoming assembly elections as crucial, he said though other parties started poll preparations long ago, his party was a little late in it but hoped that the youth in the party will overcome it soon.