Ramgopal Yadav rejects corruption charges against him

Expelled Samajwadi Party general secretary Ramgopal Yadav today trashed the corruption charges levelled against him and said that he still considered himself "a part of the party".
In an emotional outburst at a press conference in his native place here, Yadav virtually broke down saying injustice had been meted out to him.
Seeking to project his loyalty to the ruling party, Yadav, who was expelled in the midst of the feud in Uttar Pradesh's first family, said, "I still believe I am a part of Samajwadi Party even if I am not operating officially."
His remarks have come at a time when Samajwadi Party is deliberating upon electing a new leader to the Rajya Sabha to replace him.

Ramgopal, brother of SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav, maintained that he never wanted to be a minister or hold any office.
"If people think that injustice has been done to me, they should do justice," he said.

Steering clear of any more controversy, the former SP general secretary desisted from taking names of people illegally distributing party tickets and said Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav should have a say in the matter.
He said some people were "misguiding SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav who could have excelled as a great leader if he took decisions on his own."
During the crisis, Ramgopal had shot off a letter to party workers endorsing Akhilesh as the future of SP.

Ramgopal was expelled from the party for six years last month by SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav on charges of corruption, manipulation and sabotage.
Making the announcement of his expulsion, party state unit president Shivpal Singh Yadav had accused Ramgopal of conniving with BJP to harm the ruling Samajwadi Party.