Family drama takes centrestage
YADAV VS YADAV Mulayam backs ‘indispensible’ Shivpal, Amar, but won’t sack Akhilesh
LUCKNOW: The stage was set. The actors played to the script, even beyond. There were fiery exchanges, some tears and even hugs as an impatient audience watched on. But, there was no happy ending.
Uttar Pradesh’s ruling Samajwadi Party was on Monday as divided as it was a day earlier.
No sides showed signs of backing down, dealing a blow to chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, struggling to keep his party together as the bitter feud between his son and chief minister Akhilesh and younger brother Shivpal played out in public, again.
The signs were telling. Even before the party meeting called by Mulayam got underway, Akhilesh and Shivpal supporters clashed outside the venue.
Inside, Mulayam was unsparing in his criticism of Akhilesh, who was called a liar by Shivpal. Mulayam made it clear he would not let go of either Shivpal, thrown out of the cabinet by the CM on Sunday, or long-time aide Amar Singh, who Akhilesh wants out of the party.
“Power has gone to Akhilesh’s head. Shivpal is janta ka neta (people’s leader). Amar Singh is like my brother. Had Amar not helped me in DA case, I would have gone to jail,” he said.
Akhilesh refused to be cowed down, accusing his uncle and Singh of conspiring to dislodge him. Though he made clear that Akhilesh would continue as the CM, Mulayam shouted his son down twice, once asking him to shut up and later asking him, “Tumhari haisiyat hi kya hai? (Who do you think you are?)”
The meeting was a desperate attempt by 76-year-old Mulayam to stamp his authority but the divide is looking increasingly unbridgeable.