Fire-fighter Netaji insists "no rift in Samajwadi Party till I am alive"

Lucknow [India], Sept. 16 (ANI): Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav on Friday attempted to pacify his younger brother Shivpal Yadav and son Akhilesh Yadav, saying there is no rift and there cannot be any fight within his party which is like his "family" till he is alive. Speaking a day after Shivpal stepped down from all party posts and the state government, Mulayam said, "The Samajwadi Party is a family. There won't be any fight in the family till I am alive. There is no fight between Shivpal and Akhilesh. There are no differences within the party. There is no fight between Ramgopal Yadav, Akhilesh and Shivpal." "Every father and son has friction on one or other issue. There is no rift. But there is fault of our people as well who spoke to the media," he added. The Samajwadi Party strongman urged his party workers to come together and work in unison as the elections time is approaching. "It is elections time. We should all come together and work," he said. He also said that the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister would go and meet Shivpal at his residence. "Akhilesh will go and meet Shivpal at his residence. Akhilesh humaari baat taalega? Akhilesh humaari baat nahin taal sakte. (Will Akhilesh ignore what I am saying? He can never deny what I say)," he said. The crisis in Uttar Pradesh's ruling party deepened on Friday with supporters of Shivpal and Akhilesh shouting slogans outside the Samajwadi Party office in Lucknow. Sources said Mulayam rejected Shivpal's resignation from party posts after meeting his brother on Friday. Mulayam held a meeting at his residence to thrash out a solution on the ongoing power struggle between his son and Akhilesh and his younger brother Shivpal. Shivpal earlier in the day urged his supporters to work towards strengthening the party. Shivpal, who held a clutch of important departments, quit the government as well as his position as chief of Samajwadi Party's state unit yesterday. However, the Chief Minister rejected Shivpal's resignation from the cabinet. The development came after a day after the Samajwadi Party boss and the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister held separate meetings with Shivpal. Earlier on September 13, Akhilesh stripped Shivpal of key ministerial portfolios, hours after Mulayam replaced him with his uncle as the party's state unit chief. Samajwadi Party general secretary Ramgopal Yadav had after meeting the Chief Minister yesterday claimed that the latter is not angry with anyone, adding Mulayam's decision is final in the party. He said that "differences" had arisen due to some "misunderstanding" even as he made a veiled attack on Rajya Sabha MP Amar Singh. Earlier, Shivpal had reportedly announced the party's first list of 142 candidates for the 2017 assembly polls. Disagreements between Akhilesh and his uncle have been reported on several occasions, including on the choice of official to be appointed as the state's chief secretary after Alok Ranjan's term ended and the postponement of Qaumi Ekta Dal's merger with Samajwadi Party. (ANI)