BJP dubs Mulayam's statement on Akhilesh as 'another episode of family drama'

Mumbai/ New Delhi [India], May 8 (ANI): After Samajwadi Party patron Mulayam Singh Yadav indicated that his son Akhilesh Yadav's move to ally with Congress left no stone unturned in ruining his life, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday dubbed it to be yet another episode of the 'unending saga of a family drama'. "This happens to be yet another episode of the unending saga of a family drama," BJP leader Nalin Kohli told ANI. Toeing similar views, BJP leader Shaina NC said whether Akhilesh Yadav and Mulayam Singh formed an alliance with the Congress Party or not the people of Uttar Pradesh have declined both the choices. "Irrespective of whether Mr Akhilesh Yadav and Mulayam Singh forge an alliance with the Congress or not, the people of Uttar Pradesh have declined both choices. One, on the basis of the family drama and another on the basis of corruption. And the only good governance choice was the BJP and that is why Yogi Adityanath is a proactive, positive chief minister working towards the vision of BJP in the state," she added. Mulayam Singh Yadav yesterday said that he was strongly opposed to a split in the Samajwadi Party, while berating son Akhilesh Yadav's move to ally with Congress, which he claimed had left no stone unturned to "ruin" him. "The Congress party did not leave a single chance to ruin my life and Akhilesh formed an alliance with the same party for the 2017 Uttar Pradesh assembly elections," Mulayam said at public rally. Further hitting at the Congress he said, the grand old party had lodged various cases against him. Asserting that it was his fault to endorse Akhilesh as the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh in 2012, Mulayam said, "I should have become the chief minister. We would have won the UP polls with full majority if I was the chief minister. The Samajwadi Party lost the polls because of its own fault," he added. Backing his brother Shivpal Singh Yadav's comment where he likened Samajwadi Party leader Ramgopal Yadav as 'Shakuni', Mulayam said, "Whatever he (Shivpal) said is true," adding, that attempts were made to ensure Shivpal's defeat. In a development confirming the split within the Samajwadi Party, Shivpal Yadav earlier announced the formation of a new party 'Samajwadi Secular Morcha'. Shivpal announced that Samajwadi Supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav would be the party's national secretary. "In order to restore his (Mulayam) lost dignity and to bring all the Samajwadis together, there will soon be an announcement of this secular front in Lucknow," Shivpal told ANI. Shivpal will soon be meeting state and national level leaders regarding the same. The party will also include minorities, farmers and youth. Earlier in April, Shivpal had urged former state chief minister Akhilesh Yadav to embrace Mulayam as the party head again. Shivpal asserted that Akhilesh should first unite the party and the family. Mulayam, earlier in April, had blamed Akhilesh for the Samajwadi Party's poor performance in the Assembly Elections and said that his son had insulted him and the voters understood that "one who is not loyal to his father, cannot be loyal to anyone" which led to the party's poll debacle. "I was badly insulted, which I had never faced in my life. Nevertheless, I tolerated it. No leader of any party in India had made his son a chief minister during his lifetime, but I made Akhilesh the Chief Minister of UP," he said. The Samajwadi Party got only 47 seats out 403 in the Uttar Pradesh elections. (ANI)