<p> The protracted battle within the Samajwadi Party culminated on Friday, with senior leader Shivpal Singh Yadav announcing the formation of a secular front.<br /><br />The Samajwadi Secular Morcha will be led by party founder Mulayam Singh Yadav.<br />“Netaji (Mulayam) has given permission for its formation... he will be national president of the Samajwadi Secular Morcha,” Shivpal told reporters in Etawah.<br /><br />He said the new party would make an attempt to bring all socialist and secular leaders under one umbrella to take on communal forces.<br /><br />Shivpal said the new front would restore people’s respect for Mulayam, adding, “Netaji was humiliated by his own people.”<br /><br />Meanwhile, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav said he had no information about the formation of any such front. <br />“The snake charmers can bring out snakes from anywhere, but we know about the snakes in our sleeves,” the former chief minister remarked during a programme here.<br /><br />Recently, Shivpal had given Akhilesh an ultimatum and asked him to hand over the party leadership to his father Mulayam in three months. <br /><br />Earlier, SP general secretary Ram Gopal Yadav had said that Akhilesh would not resign under any circumstances and that there was no question of handing over the party reins to Mulayam.<br /><br /></p>
<p> The protracted battle within the Samajwadi Party culminated on Friday, with senior leader Shivpal Singh Yadav announcing the formation of a secular front.<br /><br />The Samajwadi Secular Morcha will be led by party founder Mulayam Singh Yadav.<br />“Netaji (Mulayam) has given permission for its formation... he will be national president of the Samajwadi Secular Morcha,” Shivpal told reporters in Etawah.<br /><br />He said the new party would make an attempt to bring all socialist and secular leaders under one umbrella to take on communal forces.<br /><br />Shivpal said the new front would restore people’s respect for Mulayam, adding, “Netaji was humiliated by his own people.”<br /><br />Meanwhile, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav said he had no information about the formation of any such front. <br />“The snake charmers can bring out snakes from anywhere, but we know about the snakes in our sleeves,” the former chief minister remarked during a programme here.<br /><br />Recently, Shivpal had given Akhilesh an ultimatum and asked him to hand over the party leadership to his father Mulayam in three months. <br /><br />Earlier, SP general secretary Ram Gopal Yadav had said that Akhilesh would not resign under any circumstances and that there was no question of handing over the party reins to Mulayam.<br /><br /></p>
