Lashing out at Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, Samajwadi Party state chief Shivpal Yadav on Monday said that he had worked no less than his nephew and added that he played a prominent role in forming the party along with his elder brother Mulayam Singh Yadav.
Addressing the Samajwadi Party workers and leaders at a meeting called by Mulayam, Shivpal said indiscipline will not be tolerated in this party.
"I have been working for the Samajwadi Party since 1972. Do I get no credit for building the party to what it is today? Did I work less than the Chief Minister? Did our department work less than the Chief Minister?" Shivpal asked.
"I have been a Samajwadi Party worker before Akhilesh was born...Which orders of the CM did I not follow? I followed every order given by the Chief Minister," he added.
As Akhilesh rejected rumours of floating a new party, Shivpal confirmed that the former had earlier told him about forming a new party.
"I want to say this in front of Netaji that when I went to meet the Chief Minister, the Chief Minister had said that he will form a new party. I give you my word that the Chief Minister had said this," he said.
Continuing his outburst against Akhilesh, Shivpal said the party will not tolerate people who do 'dalali'.
"Only those who work for the poor and the farmers will work for the Samajwadi Party. Dalali (brokering deals) will not do. Akhilesh has conspired against the party," he said.
Shivpal, who was yesterday sacked from the Uttar Pradesh Cabinet, further said there are many liars in the party.
"Nobody has made Mukhtar Ansari join the party...and you (Akhilesh) take the name of Mukhtar Ansari? We will not tolerate people who do dalali!" he added.
Shivpal also made it clear that strict action would be initiated against those trying to weaken and break the Samajwadi Party.
"This party has been formed by the hard work of Netaji...not by the people who raise slogans. Such people need to be thrown out of the party," he added.
Shivpal also backed senior leader Amar Singh.
"The critics of Amar Singh are not worth the dust on his feet," he said.
Shivpal further said everyone in the Samajwadi Party needs to dedicate themselves to winning the 2017 Uttar Pradesh assembly elections.
"One of the agendas for this meeting was to decide a strategy for the 2017 polls. And now look what this meeting has been reduced to," Shivpal said.
"Netaji, please give me permission to throw away all those spreading lies within the party. The people hate 'looteras and dalals'. We will never win the elections through them," he added.
Clearly referring to Akhilesh, Shivpal said, "I want to say: first find out properly about your responsibilities."
Shivpal further said that the people, who work to weaken the Samajwadi Party, should know that the party would form the government yet again with Netaji's sweat and blood.
The Chief Minister earlier rejected rumours of floating a new party.
In an emotional speech addressed to his father and Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav, Akhilesh said some leaders in the party were conspiring against him and added that he would fight against the wrong.
The Chief Minister broke down as he addressed his party workers and leaders at a meeting called by his father.
"I will fight against wrong as you have taught me," he told Mulayam.
"Who is forming is a new party? I am not. I have many responsibilities...Some people are trying to spread confusion in the Samajwadi Party," he added.
Putting forth his stand, Akhilesh made it clear that he would act against all those who conspire against him.
"I will stop those who conspire against me. One of my responsibilities is to act against any conspiracy against me. If there's a conspiracy against Netaji or the Samajwadi Party I will act against it. And that is why I did not ask anyone else about the removals from the Cabinet," he said.
The Chief Minister also attempted to draw his father's attention to the development work done by his government as he shied away from talking about the feud within the party,
"I have told the entire Cabinet that this is your party," he said.
Declaring his loyalty towards his father, an emotional Akhilesh said that he would have resigned if 'Netaji' would have asked him to do so.
"I would have resigned if Netaji had wanted me to. I fulfilled the promises I made to Netaji. I am where I am because of Netaji but this (politics) is my career; I don't know any other profession," he said.
Akhilesh also used the occasion to vent his ire against senior party leader Amar Singh.
"I was hurt when Amar Singh said that by November Akhilesh will not be the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh. Ram Gopal ji didn't say that," he said.
Today's meeting takes place a day after Sunday's dramatic events when Akhilesh sacked his uncle Shivpal Yadav from his Cabinet for the second time in a month. Many considered this to be a direct challenge to his father Mulayam, who has been promoting Shivpal over him.
Hours later, Mulayam ordered the expulsion of his cousin Ram Gopal Yadav, considered to be Akhilesh loyalist, from the party for six years.
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