Lucknow: A string of meetings called on Monday by Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav to broker a truce between warring factions ended up making a public spectacle of the rift as Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and his uncle Shivpal Yadav publicly traded insults, fuelling speculation of a split ahead of assembly elections next year.
On Monday, too, Mulayam appeared to side with brother Shivpal Yadav.
“The decision to sack Shivpal was taken by me, but this is your party and I can never break it," an emotional Akhilesh said, addressing his father.
To this Akhilesh retorted saying these letters were written by none other than MLC Ashu Malik, who had tried to portray him as ‘Aurangzeb’ in a media report and Mulayam Singh Yadav as ‘Shah Jahan’.
What followed was more name-calling, with Shivpal snatching the microphone from Akhilesh and calling him a liar. "The Chief Minister is lying...the Chief Minister is lying," he told the gathering. Shivpal also demanded that Mulayam take over the helm of the government.
Snubbing Akhilesh's supporters, Shivpal said the party has been strengthened through the hard work and sweat of Mulayam Singh and not "because of your sloganeering".
Shivpal retorted: "Helicopter kya tumhare baap ka hai, main mantri tha government mein (Did your father own the helicopter? I was a minister in the government).
Akhilesh stormed out of the meeting and met his supporters separately, reportedly asking them to refrain from sloganeering. Ten party workers were later expelled for raising slogans during Shivpal’s speech.
The heated afternoon exchange met an anti-climax in the evening as Shivpal reached 5 Kalidas Marg to meet Akhilesh. The further surprise the duo left in the same vehicle to meet Mulayam, who was said to be suffering from toothache.
The evening meeting, however, gave no indications of a thaw in ties as Shivpal left for his residence shortly after.
(With agency inputs)
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