Shivpal Yadav: In a major development, Samajwadi Party on Sunday declared Shivpal Yadav as their National General Secretary, party sources said. This came a day after the party President Akhilesh Yadav held a meeting at the party office.
Although the leader had said that the meeting was held to discuss the caste-based survey amid the alleged "Bhartiya Janata Party's remarks against the people of the lower castes", there were speculations that the development came today and was also discussed during the meeting held on Saturday.
Notably, the Samajwadi Party has been making vociferous demands for a caste-based survey in the state. Akhilesh had in the run-up to the assembly election last year promised to hold a caste survey in the state if the party comes to power.
Akhilesh held a meeting with Swami Prasad Maurya
According to the party insiders, the party president also discussed the ongoing controversy over SP Legislative Council member Swami Prasad Maurya's latest critical remarks against Hindu epic Ramcharitmanas. According to the news agency PTI, Maurya reached the SP office around noon and held a meeting with Yadav for about 90 minutes.
Maurya kicked up a little storm in Uttar Pradesh politics on January 22, when he referred to a couplet in Shri Ramcharitmanas and called it derogatory towards women and backward people, demanding a ban on it.
The statement quickly snowballed into a controversy with several priest bodies and Hindu organisations coming out to condemn it. A case has also been registered against Maurya in this matter. The SP has since distanced itself from Maurya’s statement terming it his personal opinion. Even Shivpal distanced himself from his critical remarks and said the party follows the ideals of Lord Rama and Lord Krishna and that Maurya's statement was his "personal opinion".
(With inputs from agency)
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