Under attack over his government's handling of the Muzaffarnagar riots, SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav today rejected any parallel with the post-Godhra 2002 riots in Gujarat and also played down the face-off with sulking party colleague Azam Khan.
Mulayam promised "justice" for the victims of the riots and "strict action" against the guilty, claiming there was "no justice" in Gujarat.
Denying any rift with Khan, a senior minister and the Samajwadi Party's muslim face, Mulayam said Khan can never be "upset" with him.
Triggering speculation of a rift in the SP, Khan skipped the ruling party's two-day national executive meet here after he was reportedly unhappy with his own government's handling of the riots that has claimed the lives of 40 persons.
"There was no justice in Gujarat but justice will be done in UP...I have never done the politics of caste and religion. Strict action will be taken against the guilty. We will provide the maximum possible assistance to them (the riot victims)," Mulayam told reporters at the end of the meet.
Mulayam, who was flanked by senior party leaders including Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, was responding to a question on the remarks of RLD chief Ajit Singh that SP was doing what Modi had done in Gujarat to polarise voters.
Singh had earlier said, "If you go back to what Modi has done in Gujarat was basically that he did not act. He stopped police from taking any action and that is what happened in UP."
Rejecting the charge, Mulayam said his party's government will take "such strong action (against the culprits) that they will never dare to repeat it".
He said the state government has taken into custody many people and and will arrest all those who are on the run.
Mulayam while seeking to mollify Khan said, "Azam Khan can never be upset with me."
The stand taken by Mulayam was in contrast to the party National General Secretary Ramgopal Yadav's remark earlier in the day that either Khan should have attended the meet or resigned. Ramgopal had also said that Khan's absence was not felt at the meet.
The SP supremo said the party knew that why Azam did not attend the meeting. "Our's is a democratic party and not an autocratic one," he said.
Asked about some SP leaders speaking against Khan, Mulayam said that whatever statement need to be given had been made.
