Mulayam praises Deen Dayal Upadhyaya
LUCKNOW: The death anniversary of socialist icon Dr Ram Manohar Lohia on Monday saw Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Mulayam Singh Yadav praising Jan Sangh leader Deen Dayal Upadhyaya and governor Ram Naik acknowledging Lohia’s role in fostering opposition unity.
“There were no untouchables in Lohia ji’s brand of politics,” said Naik adding that the socialist leader supported Jan Sangh veteran Pt Deen Dayal Upadhyaya on issues of border security, language, corruption and price rise.
Speaking during the event organised at Lohia Park here to commemorate the 49th death anniversary of Dr Ram Manohar Lohia, Mulayam too echoed similar sentiments.
He, however, said consensus on these issues did not mean that they didn’t have ideological differences.
“We (socialists) had differences but also respect for leaders irrespective of their political affiliations,” said Mulayam adding that he read about Upadhyaya when he was in jail. “The socialists and the Jan Sanghis were together in jail during the Emergency. And that is when I got the time to read about him (Upadhyaya),” he said.
Castigating both Nitish and Lalu as rank opportunists and traitors, Yadav said he wanted a regime change in Bihar and though BJP stood a fair chance of winning the statement it gave on reservation may ruin its chances.
Advocating opposition unity (read anti-Congressism), Yadav said, Lohia did not think twice before joining hands with the Jan Sangh, which later formed the Janta Party and together with the help of socialists managed to overthrow the Congress regime. The ruling party (Congress) did not get a single seat from Calcutta to Chandigarh,” he said.
Yadav said the Congress came back to power only when the Janta Party was in disarray. On the Dadri incident, the SP chief said he was in touch with the locals for restoring peace. “I have always followed Lohia’s philosophy and principles on communal harmony. The Hindus and Muslims should protect each other wherever either community is in majority. Such reciprocal gestures would cement unity between the two,” he said.