Emotions run high outside SP office
A huge number of party workers, including the supporters of Akhilesh and Shivpal Yadav as well as those who were neutral, gathered at the party headquarters. The entire road was bursting at seams with SP leaders and workers and heavy police force was deployed both inside and outside the venue.
After the supporters of Shivpal and Akhilesh clashed even before the meeting called by party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav began, the police completely sealed nearly half-akilometre road by putting up barricades. When the police ran short of barricades, they parked a fork-lift tow vehicle across the road.
Clashes did not stop even then and the police had to use mild force frequently to disperse them.
Howver, despite the divide, most seemed strongly opposed to a split in the party.
A few of them also termed the ongoing controversy as BJP’s attempt to split the party and said that ‘outsiders should be kept out from party affairs.
The emotionally charged speeches by the leaders inside were played out on phones bringing tears in many eyes. After party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav’s verdict on ‘Samajwadi Party rift’, there were bitter exchange of words among them.
“Our neta is Mulayam Singh Yadav. We are here to support him throughout, in good or bad. But we want party to stay united and give its best in upcoming state assembly elections. Mulayam’s verdict is the final one and I am sure things will be back to normal now,” said Sheikh Sulemaan, senior party leader who came all the way from Afzalgarh in Bijnor. Sulemaan, however, said that ‘outsiders should be kept out from the party’.
Another supporter Vinay Srivastav said the controversies were being created by the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) to dent the SP’s vote bank. “It’s all planted and a senor BJP leader is the brain behind it. Mulayam and Shivpal Singh are the senior party leaders and their say should be final. As a party worker, it’s painful to see the differences,” said Srivastava, who came from Kannauj.
“We want party to stay united at all cost but at the same time we support CM’s say on the whole issue. The party should respect CM’s point of view. The coming election will see a number of youngsters casting their vote.
They consider the CM as their role model. Outsiders should be kept away from the party,” said Garvit Narang, a student leader from Kanpur.
Ashutosh Sinha, president of ‘Akhilesh Sena’, a Varanasi based organization, said, “It’s one person who is responsible for all the problem. He should be thrown out of party.”