Samajwadi Party feud: Mulayam says he might contest against son Akhilesh

He also accused CM Akhilesh Yadav of having a negative approach towards Muslims

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav with SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav. Photo: PTI
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav with SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav. Photo: PTI
Press Trust of India Lucknow
Last Updated : Jan 16 2017 | 6:09 PM IST
Amid the battle for supremacy in UP's ruling family, SP patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav on Monday accused Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav of having a negative approach towards Muslims and said he will fight against his son if he does not heed to his advice.

With the Election Commission set to take a call on which SP faction will retain the cycle symbol, Mulayam said that it was up to the EC to decide on it but the fight will "reach the court".

Addressing party workers at the SP headquarters here, Mulayam trained his guns on his son.

Also Read

"I always advocated interest of Muslims. When I ensured appointment of a Muslim as state's Director General of Police (DGP), Akhilesh did not talk to me for 15 days. He did not want any Muslim on this post. It gave an anti-Muslim message," he alleged.

The SP founder alleged that Akhilesh had a "negative approach" towards Muslims and that he was playing in the hands of Ramgopal Yadav, who was working "on directions of BJP".

"Akhilesh is acting at the behest of Ramgopal. If he does not listen, I will fight against him," he said.

"I will live for Muslims and die for them also. If it come to Muslims' interest, I will also fight against him (Akhilesh)", he said.

Mulayam said, "I have made a lot of sacrifices to make the party. He (Akhilesh) is not adhering to me and sacked a number of ministers including a woman. Senior ministers were sacked without any reasons".

Earlier, Mulayam reached brother Shivpal's residence and later the party office and addressed the workers.

Interestingly, he also called Naresh Uttam, who has been made party state president by Akhilesh, to the meeting.

Mulayam said he was trying his level best to save the party and slammed Akhilesh for not understanding things.
*Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%
*Complimentary New York Times access for the 2nd year will be given after 12 months

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Exclusive premium stories online

  • Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

First Published: Jan 16 2017 | 3:57 PM IST

Next Story