SP feud: Ramgopal defends Akhilesh, lashes out at Shivpal

Defending party president Akhilesh Yadav, Samajwadi Party leader Ramgopal Yadav on Sunday said Shivpal Yadav did not have any knowledge of the party constitution and advised him to work for the party and not “talk nonsense”.

“He (Shivpal) has not read party constitution. Akhilesh cannot give party presidentship to anyone. The Samajwadi Party (SP) general body had unanimously elected him to the post, which he cannot give to anyone. Shivpal should not talk nonsense,” Ramgopal said while talking to reporters here.

He was asked by the media on Shivpal’s repeated demand from Akhilesh to hand over the party president’s post to his father, party patron Mulayam Singh Yadav. “The party’s membership drive is on and will continue till September 30. If Shivpal wants to become the party president, he should participate in membership drive and ask his men to contest party polls. He (Shivpal) has nothing...he has only misled Netaji (Mulayam),” Ramgopal said.

Last week, Akhilesh had lost his cool when asked the same question by journalists. “You (media) read constitution of our party and Election Commission (order), then you ask the question. Have you all got only questions relating to my home (matters)? I don’t like the same question to be asked everytime. In whose family there is no dispute?” he had said, while accepting that it was one of the reasons for SP’s defeat in the assembly polls.

When a television reporter wearing a saffron shirt had asked about Shivpal’s statement, an infuriated Akhilesh had said, “He (the reporter) is new here. His colour is also saffron...I want to tell him and other journalists to fix any day in May, and I will answer all questions. But after that you should not ask any question about my family”.

HE WAS ASKED BY THE MEDIA ON SHIVPAL’S REPEATED DEMAND FROM AKHILESH TO HAND OVER THE PARTY PRESIDENT’S POST TO HIS FATHER