SP flip flop on meeting on strategy

Samajwadi Party today did a flip flop with its chief Mulayam Singh Yadav saying the party's Parliamentary Board would meet tomorrow to decide future course of action in the wake of Trinamool Congress withdrawing support to UPA government but it was denied hours later.

"Tomorrow there is a meeting of the Samajwadi Party's Parliamentary Board. We will take a decision there," Yadav told reporters this morning when asked what the party would do in the wake of Trinamool Congress deciding to withdraw support to the government.

Hours later, SP general secretary Ram Gopal Yadav asserted that no meeting was planned for tomorrow.

"There is no meeting of the Parliamentary Board tomorrow. There are no plans whatsoever to convene the Parliamentary Board," he told reporters after meeting Yadav.

Ram Gopal's statement came after he and another senior party leader Kiranmoy Nanda met the SP chief to discuss the political scenario following TMC's move to pull out of government.

Earlier, Mulayam Singh Yadav criticised the government, saying its policies had added to the burden of the common man and its "obstinate attitude" will weaken the Congress.

"We want wisdom should dawn upon the government. What have you (the government) given to the people apart from inflation and corruption? There is so much burden on the common man, so much burden on the farmers," he said.

Asked if the attitude of the central government was coming in the way of its smooth functioning, the SP chief said, "This obstinate attitude will only go on to weaken it (Congress). Due to this attitude, the Congress party will become very weak".

The SP chief made clear that his party would go ahead with its plans to hold demonstrations tomorrow to oppose the decisions taken by the government about FDI in retail and hike in diesel prices.

"There will be opposition in Uttar Pradesh and the entire country. The demonstrations in support of people's issue will happen," Mulayam Singh Yadav said.

Sources said the meeting also discussed whether Mulayam should attend the protest against diesel price hike in FDI in retail which is being convened jointly by SP and the left parties at Jantar Mantar here.

While Ram Gopal Yadav is slated to attend the protest, some left leaders wanted Mulayam's presence.

In reply to a question about Congress'decision asking party ruled states to hike the LPG cylinder cap from 6 to 9, Ram Gopal said Congress was not a role model for SP. "Is Congress a role model for me," he said.