We don’t indulge in such politics: SP

LUCKNOW: The Samajwadi Party (SP) has welcomed the HC decision against caste rallies and in the same breath attacked the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) for promoting caste rallies.

Almost all the top SP leaders, including national president Mulayam Singh Yadav, general secretary Ramgopal Yadav and senior leader Naresh Agarwal, welcomed the decisions and said the SP did not engage in caste rallies.

Prominent state leader Ramasrey Kushwaha said: “SP does not do caste sammelans. Our sammelans are related to communities like Vyapaari sammelan or Mazdoor sammelans or Adhivakta sammelan to address respective communities. We held prabuddha varga (intellectuals) sammelan and it was not Brahmin sammelan.”

Kushwaha further said: “It is the BSP that launched the culture of caste sammelans as their politics is caste based. We are Samajwadi—the word itself includes all sections of the society. The SP never did any caste sammelans nor it had any such intentions. In any case, our party always respects judiciary.” State spokesperson Rajendra Chowdhary said: “Samajwadi Party believes in casteless society and casteless politics. Dr Lohia, Chaudhary Charan Singh and Mulayam Singh Yadav were never in favour of caste politics. It is the BSP that has been doing caste politics and the Election Commission should take cognizance of it.” Chowdhary said these days the BSP was busy teaching its senior leaders to woo higher castes, especially Brahmins.