The Samajwadi Party president, Mulayam Singh is keen to renew his ties with the Left parties after the nationwide strike call given by 13 non-Congress and non-Bharatiya Janata Party parties on April 27. Mr. Singh said here on Saturday that he and leaders of the Left parties have decided to discuss the issue after April 27.
Mr. Singh’s relations with the Left, including the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and Communist Party of India, had suffered a setback following the Samajwadi Party’s decision to support the Congress-led UPA Government on the Indo-US nuclear deal issue in 2008. At a Press conference in Lucknow on Saturday the former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister “admitted” his “mistake” (of supporting the Congress on the nuclear deal with the USA).
With former party general secretary, Amar Singh removed from the scene (he is alleged to have pushed for a understanding with the Congress on the nuke deal issue), the Samajwadi Party president said the possibility of renewing the alliance with the Left was discussed at a meeting in New Delhi on April 12. “We accepted our past mistakes and decided to sit after April 27 ”, Mr. Singh added.
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The April 27 strike against price hike and corruption is sponsored by 13 parties – Samajwadi Party, the six Left parties, TDP, AIADMK, Rashtriya Janata Dal, Lok Janshakti Party, Rashtriya Lok Dal and JD ( Secular ). Mr. Singh said the constant rise in the prices of essentials and that of petrol, diesel and fertilisers had crippled the middle class and had ruined the poor, farmers and the labourers. Only a few families have been unaffected by the price rise, but what is more worrisome in the present scenario is that the rich-poor gap has widened, the SP chief said.
Stating that the Centre cannot escape the onus for the inflationary trend in the country, Mr. Singh blamed the Mayawati Government for the price scenario in the State and accused it for being a party to the flourishing commission racket in the public distribution system (PDS). The former Chief Minister said hunger and poverty had increased and the situation was not contained the rural sector of the State’s economy would be decimated.
In Uttar Pradesh the responsibility for ensuring the April 27 strike’s success was that of the Samajwadi Party. On whether ensuring the strike’s success also meant stopping bus and train movement in the State, Mr. Singh evaded a direct reply and said: “ the party workers knew what do ”. He said the strike’s success in UP would ensure its success in the rest of the country.
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Taking exception to the criticism of the RJD chief, Lalu Prasad , the JD (United ) president, Sharad Yadav and himself on the subject, Mr. Singh remarked: “ we are fighting for the ‘janata’ and not for a particular caste people”.
On the Indian Premier League (IPL) controversy, the SP president said the report of the enforcement directorate and the income tax department should be tabled in Parliament in the ongoing House session.