Father turns Akhilesh's adviser

Apparently worried that a “negative” perception about the prevailing law and order situation in Uttar Pradesh could adversely impact the image of his son and chief minister Akhilesh Yadav,  Samajwadi Party (SP) supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav on Tuesday once again asked Akhilesh to “act tough”.

“Had I been the chief minister of the state, I would have set the law and order right within 15 days,” Mulayam said while speaking to reporters as Akhilesh, who was also present, merely looked on.

“District magistrates and district police chiefs are responsible for the law and order.

They should be acted against if there is any deterioration. They are not above the law,” the senior Yadav said.

Though Yadav had made the remark in a lighter vein, the message was not lost on Akhilesh. The Akhilesh regime has been under attack from the opposition parties for failing to control the spiraling crime graph in the state.

Mulayam, who had earlier made no secret of his displeasure when the UPA regime had announced a special package for Bihar, conceded that the law and order situation in Bihar had improved. “Akhilesh too could do the same,” he said.

The SP supremo, though criticized the Congress for what he said its “anti-people policies”, remained evasive on fielding candidates against Congress president Sonia Gandhi and vice-president Rahul Gandhi in the Raebareli and Amethi Lok Sabha constituencies respectively. He, however, rejected an assertion that the SP fielded weak candidates against the senior Congress leaders.

Mulayam dropped hints that his party could re-consider its decision to oppose the Food Security Bill. He said the SP would study the Bill and take a decision in the next few days.

Mulayam lost his cool when it was pointed out that the retired IAS officer Tapendra Prasad, who joined the SP on Tuesday in his presence, was facing probe in connection with the food gran scam. “We have inducted him into the party only after considering every aspect,” he shot back when queried in this regard.