'Amar Singh hatao Samajwadi Party Bachao': Abu Azmi

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], Oct. 24 (ANI): Blaming Samajwadi Party (SP) Rajya Sabha member Amar Singh for the ongoing family feud and the expulsion of party general secretary Ramgopal Yadav, Maharashtra SP president and MLA Abu Azmi on Monday called for Amar Singh's immediate removal to save the party. "It is due to one man, Amar Singh, that there is a rift in the party. I would say 'Amar Singh ko hatao, Samajwadi Party Bachao' (remove Amar Singh and save Samajwadi Party)." Azmi told ANI. "The person, Amar Singh, had hurled abuses at us, and had said that he would destroy the Samajwadi Party. I think his dreams are coming true now. If you are saying that you will not expel him (Amar Singh), but your family is asking you to expel him, then, Netaji 'please no dictatorship'. I am saying this with folded hand that you should be taking into account their advice and expel him from the party, and please scold everybody - the party will work properly and nothing will happen," said Azmi. "Ramgopalji is a person who has worked so hard for the party. When Netaji used to call Ramgopal, Ramgopalji would rush without even slippers on his feet. Do you think that we should speak such things (he is associated with the BJP)? Shivpal Bhai (PU unit chief Shivpal Yadav) should have not said that he (Ramgopalji) is associated with the BJP. Shivpal Bhai you know well who is associated with the BJP," said Azmi, while deploring the allegations levelled on Ramgopal Yadav. "When Ketan Desai and Shubash Chandraji went with Amar Singh and got a letter from Netaji, then everybody said that Amar Singh was interfering by giving wrong advice to Netaji," he added. When asked about his demand, Azmi said, "I demand that Netaji you always say that talk straight from your heart; Samajwadi Party is a family, and thus, speak freely; I have worked with the party for 20 years and we stayed in opposition for 20 years which is not easy Netaji. You gave us strength and we struggled in Mumbai, and I was elected as an MLA, but never went to a party for even spitting. They asked me to become a minister, but I said I will be better off as a peon in the Samajwadi party. If you understand us, I would like to appeal to you that save our family from disintegration." Asked how long Ramgopal Yadav would be staying in Mumbai, Azmi said, "Ramgopalji is going back to Delhi by tomorrow evening's flight. He has not had any meeting with any worker; I deliberately came here to meet him. When Netaji sits today and family and party members advise him and if he takes their advice into consideration, everything will be fine." Earlier, in a letter, Ramgopal Yadav stated that he was not sad over his expulsion, but hurt by the false allegations levelled against him by state party president Shivpal Yadav. Defending himself, he said it is not a crime to meet leaders from any other political party in a democracy. "Whether I am in the Samajwadi Party or not, I will continue to extend my support to Akhilesh Yadav till he becomes chief minister of Uttar Pradesh," he said. He described Mulayam Singh Yadav not just as his elder brother, but also as his political 'guru', and as one currently surrounded by evil powers. On Sunday, Samajwadi Party state president Shivapal Yadav expelled Ramgopal Yadav from the party for six years, accusing him of being part of a conspiracy to unsettle the party. "Ramgopal is involved with the BJP; he met BJP leaders thrice in the last few days. He is doing such these things because his son Akshay Yadav and daughter-in-law are involved in a scam. To protect himself and his son, they are planning a conspiracy as per the direction of the BJP," Shivpal told a press conference here. He said that Ramgopal is making the party weak, adding that Akhilesh is not understanding the facts that who is with him and who is not. Akhilesh Yadav, on his part, sacked four state cabinet ministers, including his uncle Shivpal Yadav. (ANI)