Is Samajwadi Party president Mulayam Singh backing his cousin and party general secretary Ram Gopal Yadav in the public fight between him and Amar Singh, who has quit as general secretary? At least, that is what Mr. Amar Singh seems to suspect going by his blog entry posted on Thursday.
For the first time since he quit party posts, Mr. Amar Singh has made a veiled attack on Mr. Mulayam Singh, saying he was present on both occasions when Mr. Yadav “targeted” him in the media.
“It is correct that on both occasions that Ram Gopal Yadav spoke against me in the media, respected Mulayam Singhji was present in Delhi and Safai respectively.”
Mr. Amar Singh, who returned to India from London on Thursday, said it was also confirmed that Mr. Mulayam Singh had a meeting of “old socialists” in New Delhi (after his resignation).
“But what can I say on the basis of doubts and suspicion?” he mused, keeping his options open.
Mr. Amar Singh was reacting to a letter written to him on his blog by Islamic Federation of India president Mohammad Muslim Gazi, who alleged that there was a conspiracy by a coterie of “old socialists” in the party to oust him.
Mr. Ghazi alleged that senior leaders Janeshwar Mishra, Brij Bhushan Tiwari, Ramji Lal Suman, Mohan Singh and Mr. Yadav were involved in the “internal revolt” against him. Raj Babbar was the first chain in this revolt, followed by Beni Prasad Verma and Azam Khan (all of whom are now out of the party), he said.
Last Sunday, Mr. Mulayam Singh told journalists in Kolkata that he was not accepting Mr. Amar Singh’s resignation as general secretary, member of the Parliamentary Board and as national spokesman. However, since then a war of words had broken out between Mr. Yadav and Mr. Amar Singh. There was a lull after Mr. Yadav reportedly apologised for his remarks, but the truce was short-lived as he denied he had apologised and said Mr. Amar Singh “seems to have lost his mental equilibrium.” Following this, Mr. Amar Singh decided not to attend the party’s ongoing Safai festival in Mr. Mulayam Singh’s hometown. On his return from London, Mr. Amar Singh headed straight for Mumbai to campaign for colleague Abu Azmi’s son, Farhan, who is the SP candidate in the Assembly by-election in Bhiwandi (East).
