Sitting down for Muslims

While it vehemently ridiculed the idea that the Muslim community was opposed to the nuclear deal, the Samajwadi Party did feel the need to assure the minorities of its secular credentials following its about turn on supporting the UPA on the nuclear deal. One of the means it adopted was to fall back on the 8220;advice8221; of former President A P J Abdul Kalam. After that it paraded its Muslim MPs in front of the press in a bid to assure everyone that Muslims were still behind the party contrary to talk that the community was opposed to the deal. So keen was the party to show the support of each and every MP that it went out of its way to ensure every Muslim face was captured by the TV cameras. At a press briefing, when Mulayam Singh Yadav stood up to address the media, Amar Singh gently pulled at his sleeve and asked him to sit down. 8220;Arrey, peeche jo MPs khade hain, unko TV par dikhna zaroori hai, aap baith kar boliye The MPs standing behind must be seen on TV, so you must sit and speak,8221; he advised Mulayam, who promptly sat down.