I hold women in high esteem: Mulayam

Last week, he said ‘rape was a mistake committed by boys’

April 16, 2014 03:12 am | Updated November 16, 2021 07:24 pm IST - MEERUT

NEW DELHI, 14/12/2011: Samajwadi Party President Mulayam Singh Yadav addressing a "Meet the Press" programme, organised by "Press Club", ahead of the Uttar Pradesh State elections in New Delhi, on December 14, 2011.
Photo: V.V. Krishnan

NEW DELHI, 14/12/2011: Samajwadi Party President Mulayam Singh Yadav addressing a "Meet the Press" programme, organised by "Press Club", ahead of the Uttar Pradesh State elections in New Delhi, on December 14, 2011. Photo: V.V. Krishnan

Facing criticism from all sections for his “rape a mistake committed by boys” statement last week, Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh defended himself on Tuesday saying he was the greatest advocate of women’s welfare.

“I have even gone to jail for the cause of women and hold them in very high esteem,” he said at a rally in Rampur. Reiterating his claim that a non-BJP, non-Congress front would form the next government, Mr. Singh hit out at BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi for selling “fake dreams.” “Mr. Modi says that the water in U.P. is dirty whereas a study shows that water in Gujarat is most dirty and unfit for drinking.”

“Mr. Modi says the Gujarat model of development is the best but the fact is that lands of Sikh farmers have been forcibly acquired by that government. If he becomes the Prime Minister, he will order acquisition of fertile land here also and give it to capitalists at throwaway prices leaving you landless,” he said.

Describing Azam Khan as a true friend of the masses, Mr. Singh said the Election Commission ban on his public rallies was wrong.

0 / 0
Sign in to unlock member-only benefits!
  • Access 10 free stories every month
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.