Samajwadi Party president Mulayam Singh on Tuesday reiterated that a third front would be formed, but only after the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.
Six parties had already got together, he said, kicking off the SP’s general election campaign at a ‘Desh bachao, desh banao (save the country, make the country)’ rally in Azamgarh.
Mr. Singh said the opportunity presented itself after a long time but he hastened to add the third front would be formed only after the elections. He would attend a rally of the six parties in New Delhi on Wednesday. He said the SP was the biggest party in the third force.
Taking a dig at the Bharatiya Janata Party’s prime ministerial candidate, he said: “Mr. Narendra Modi is seen only in Gujarat and on TV screens. He is not visible anywhere else.”
“Where were those who claimed to be big leaders when the country’s borders were being attacked and prices were going up?”
Mr. Singh assailed the Congress for “rendering the Prime Minister weak” which, in turn, weakened the country.
Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav slammed the Opposition parties for conspiring against the Uttar Pradesh government.
He thanked the people of Azamgarh for their “whole-hearted support” to the SP which enabled it to win nine seats in the last Assembly elections. He asked them to replicate their support in the 2014 Lok Sabha poll as well.
“Rahul should apologise”
Urban Development Minister Mohammad Azam Khan again hit out against Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi for his remark that Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence was in touch with Muzaffarnagar riot victims. He demanded an apology from Mr. Gandhi and alleged that the communal incidents were the result of a conspiracy by Opposition parties.
