In a message of unity, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Thursday shared the stage with party patriarch and father Mulayam Singh Yadav, and thanked him profusely for attending an event held at the party headquarters in Lucknow. On Monday, UP BJP chief Swatantra Dev Singh had called on Mulayam Singh Yadav, and not Akhilesh, and tweeted pictures of the meeting, saying he had taken blessings of “Netaji” and enquired about his health and wished for his health and long life. With his father by his side on Thursday, Akhilesh hit out at the BJP, saying: “People have become so fed up with the BJP that they don’t want them to stay in power for one more day”. Notably, Akhilesh was addressing party workers and leaders to mark the culimination of 18-day Jankranti Yatra of ally Janvadi Party (Socialist) that started from Ballia and concluded in Lucknow. The Samajwadi Party and Janvadi Party (Socialist), led by Sanjay Singh Chauhan, are in alliance for next year’s Assembly election in the state. “I would like to thank Netaji (Mulayam) for surprising us by taking part in the programme. I would like to thank him on your behalf too,” Akhilesh said, referring to party workers and leaders. “I am thinking what I should say in Hindi about Netaji being here today. I will use an English phrase only. It is like icing on the cake,” he said, adding that the party patron’s presence has made the office “brighter”. Last week, while inducting Mulayam loyalist and former minister Ambika Chaudhary and don-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari’s brother Sibghatullah Ansari, Akhilesh had said that he would try to bring people close to Mulayam together in the run-up to the elections. Addressing party workers, Mulayam said that with no place to sit or stand in the auditorium, it shows“the success of the Samajwadi Party”. “Our leaders and workers are aware. They are working hard for Samajwadi Party. It is a result of it that so many people have gathered here today. I welcome all of you here. I am very happy to be here today,” said the party patriarch. Akhilesh, meanwhile, said that his party will give due respect to Dalits and other backward sections whom the BJP failed to do. “Samajwadi Party’s (SP) allies will get justice, respect and participation. The party will give respect to Dalits and other backward sections that the BJP did not do. When it comes to giving respect to your samaj (community), SP will never backtrack. We assure you that we will not do the injustice done to you earlier. SP will not hesitate to take forward your samaj," Yadav added. Targeting the BJP, Akhilesh said, “In all the places, where this yatra passed through, the BJP will be wiped out. BJP will have to find where its candidates have gone. And that is why Samajwadis have given the slogan of 'Abki Baar 400 Paar' .” “There is so much anger against BJP among the people that they don’t want to see a BJP government for one more day. The BJP had said that they will waive loans of farmers, double their income. It never happened. But yes the price of the cooking gas cylinders has doubled. Our sisters tell us that they are struggling to run households due to price rise. They are being forced to spend thousands of extra rupees to run their house,” he added. Akhilesh also said with the BJP government selling assets to corporates, the reservation for OBCs and Dalits and tribals in jobs will also be threatened in the future. “The BJP is selling all the assets of the government, which gave youth jobs. They are selling institutions at cheap prices to corporates. They are selling big companies and corporations. A government, which is selling its own assets, can never be the government for the poor. People have seen how the government is working to promote the big corporates. As government companies are sold, reservation will also end. Jobs will shrink and along with that the Constitutional right to reservation will also end,” said Akhilesh.
