Spat out in open at SP women’s meet

A squabble between two leaders of the Samajwadi Mahila Sabha was there for all to see at the organisation’s national convention at the SP headquarters on Monday.

The open display of the rift made many women leaders and workers gossip about it. And some of those, who took sides, cried as well.

The situation unfolded when the event was warming up to a start. All the seating areas were packed with women. Yet, there was a perception that something had gone wrong somewhere. This led to both the leaders crossing each other’s path in the ‘out of bounds’ area right in front of the stage. They sparred and kept walking up to their supporters to complain about each other. They sulked until a flutter among the police indicated that SP national president Mulayam Singh Yadav was about to walk in as the chief guest. A leader remarked: “If Netaji gets to know this, he will sack both of them.”

Though the origin of the fight could not be known, prima facie it was due to two factions within the Mahila Sabha, according to some of the women there. After one round of the spat, one of the leaders walked up to her faction, and said: “Look, look, how she is inciting those (women)”. Soon after, the other leader stomped past her uttering: “What nonsense are you talking!” When it was feared that the tension might ruin the show, a senior functionary took the mike and tried to pacify the women.

At this juncture, one of the leaders in the fight chose to seat herself in the back row on the stage.

Even after Mulayam, Dimple, Shivpal came on to the stage, the tension did not dissipate though there was no open confrontation anymore. Soon, a leader from one of the two factions, shouted: “We are founder members but sitting in the enclosure. Many newer nembers are on stage.”

She ultimately got t a twominute slot to speak. After her speech, she went to greet Mulayam and attempted to touch his feet but he waved her away. refused to accept here greetings and waved her away. Mulayam, it seems, got to know what had transpired before he had walked in.