 "Amar Singh asks SP members to support Mulayam Singh Yadav")
Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh on Saturday termed the crisis in the party as "unfortunate" and asked party members to support Mulayam Singh Yadav in the family feud which has seen Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav being expelled.
"I appeal to the party members to stand with Netaji Mulayam Singh. Whatever is happening is very unfortunate," Amar, who had recently made a comeback to the party after a long exile, said.
He was asked about the crisis in the party after supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav expelled his son Akhilesh Yadav and general secretary Ram Gopal Yadav for six years after they put up candidates against the official nominees and summoned a party meet on Sunday.
Amar said, "The foundation of this party was laid by Mulayam Singh with much dedication and hard work. I have said this earlier and will say it now, that Mulayam Singh is the chief of SP and the father of Akhilesh Yadav as well," he said.
Mulayam had on Friday said that he had taken the action against Akhilesh and Ramgopal to save the party which he had built through hard efforts.
"We have to save the party. The party comes first. That is why we are expelling both Akhilesh and Ram Gopal," he had said.
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He explained that the decision was taken after Ram Gopal, in his capacity as general secretary, called an emergency meeting of the party on January 1 and Akhilesh "supported" it.
Ram Gopal called the meeting after a showcause notice was issued to him and Akhilesh by Mulayam for releasing a list of candidates, parallel to the one issued officially by Mulayam.
"How can he (Akhilesh) release the list when the party has declared its candidates? Both Akhilesh and Ram Gopal want to finish the party. I will not let it happen. I have built this party through hard work," Mulayam said.