LUCKNOW: In a desperate attempt to hold on to his vote base in the wake of fast depleting popularity of Samajwadi Pary government in Uttar Pradesh because of its alleged misgovernance and poor law and order, the party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav on Saturday turned to people urging them not to be punish him in the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections for any of the wrongdoings of the state government headed by his son Akhilesh Yadav.
At the function to observe the 47th death anniversary of socialist ideologue Ram Manohar Lohia, where UP chief minister Akhilesh Yadav was also present, the SP chief said: “We keep saying that so many sops were given….but it is the proper attitude and a nice conduct by the ministers, the workers and the legislatures that makes a party successful.”
Mulayam said that he felt that the attitude and the conduct of the ministers have ‘changed’ over a period of time after coming to power. “Hence I am forced to say that people are keeping a keen eye on the attitude of the people sitting in power,” he said in an apparent jibe on the SP ministers and legislatures accused of misconduct.
“If a proper conduct is not there, it will cause problem for all, including me. Lok Sabha elections are nearing, and I want to know from the people that whether you will send me to Delhi or send me back,” asked the part worker and then on cue turned to the people of UP: Don’t take revenge from me if there is any fault on the part of the state government. If there is any wrongdoings then it is the ministers who will be responsible,” Mulayam said.
“I want to tell the minister and MLAs not to lose the confidence of the people who are aware of what is happening around,” he said. “It is the public who should be satisfied only after that the government should get satisfied,” the SP chief said.
His observation came a day after Raghuraj Pratap Singh alias Raja Bhaiya was inducted back in the cabinet, seven months after he was shunted out for his alleged involvement in the conspiracy to kill deputy SP of Kunda, Zia-Ul-Haq.
Before that, in August, Mulayam had asked his chief minister son and state president of the party Akhilesh Yadav to suspend Mahendra Singh, Radheshyam Jaiswal and Ram Lal Akela, MLAs from Sewata (Sitapur district), Sitapur Sadar and Bhachrawan (Rae Bareli district) respectively for alleged misconducts and anti-party activities..
Mahendra Singh and his six aide were caught in a hotel in Goa’s Panji with call girls under Prevention of Immoral Trafficking Act (PITA) and sent in judicial custody for seven days. Sachin Jaiswal, son of Sitapur MLA of the party had opened fire at a local resident Krishna Pal Yadav over a land dispute. Later, the MLA had used his clout and forced the police to register a case against the victim. Sachin, who is also a member of the SP, was also suspended from the party.
In a similar incident, three sons of Bachchrawan MLA, Vikrant, Ranjit and Sonu had demolished the house of an additional chief medical superintendent Mohammad Naseer in Krantipuri area of Rae Bareli in an alleged attempt to grab it.
The Lohia death anniversary, Mulayam said, should be observed as ‘Sankalp Diwas’ in which party workers should promise that they would send the Samajwadi Party will full force to Delhi,” Mulayam said, at a function thronged by scores of party workers.
Speaking on the occasion, Akhilesh admitted that his government was facing a host of accusations. He however blamed the party workers and ministers of not preparing themselves fully about the context of the schemes the state government had launched for the people of the state. “Because of this, people are not able to get the right information,” Akhilesh defended. “I can assure that state government is working on the poll promises it made to the people before the assembly elections.”
He said that the party was being accused of working of only one community (Muslims). “But I want to clarify that none of the scheme is discriminating and benefiting only one community….be it lap top distribution or the unemployment allowance there is no discrimination,” he said.