SP patch-up meet turns ugly

A meeting called by Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav to resolve the raging family feud ended in acrimony on Monday.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and his uncle and sacked minister Shivpal Singh Yadav traded accusations and almost got into a scuffle.

Mulayam and Akhilesh also shouted at each other at the meeting, which witnessed chaotic scenes as supporters of the rival camps raised slogans in favour of their respective leaders and also came to blows.

Akhilesh gave vent to his “anguish” over what he termed a “conspiracy” against him by party’s Rajya Sabha MP Amar Singh and some other senior leaders, and hinted at Shivpal’s involvement as well.

Mulayam, who spoke first, openly supported Shivpal and Amar Singh and lambasted Akhilesh for “humiliating” them. “Amar Singh is like my brother...he saved me from
going to jail,” Mulayam said.

“You (Akhilesh) abuse him (Amar),” Mulayam remarked.

The SP supremo also lauded the contribution of Shivpal in building the party from scratch and made it clear that he would under no circumstances abandon Shivpal and Amar Singh.
“Tumhari haisiyat kya hai...kya tum akele chunav jita sakte ho?” (You (Akhilesh) have no worth...can you single-handedly ensure our victory in polls?) Mulayam snapped at Akhilesh. He asked Akhilesh to touch Shivpal’s feet and embrace him – in an apparent patch-up bid. Akhilesh did so and for a moment it seemed as if the feud had been resolved.

Akhilesh, however, took the microphone and accused Shivpal of planting news against him with the help of Amar Singh and referred to a news item in an English daily in which he was called Mogul emperor Aurangzeb and Mulayam Shah Jahan. (Aurangzeb had imprisoned his father Shah Jahan for opposing his ascendancy to the throne).

Akhilesh also accused SP leader Ashu Malik of being part of the conspiracy. An enraged Shivpal then came from behind, snatched the microphone from Akhilesh and shouted, “It is a lie...the chief minister is lying.” The two almost had a scuffle when Akhilesh tried to take the microphone again.

The security personnel intervened and Akhilesh left walked out in a huff.Earlier, Shivpal claimed Akhilesh had told him that he would form a new outfit and contest the Assembly polls in alliance with other parties. “I swear in the name of my child that Akhilesh had told me he will form a new outfit,” he said.

Mulayam asked Shivpal to take charge of the election campaign indicating he was not for giving Akhilesh a second term if the SP won the polls.