Lucknow: After the fiasco over merger of gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari's Quami Ekta Dal (QED), senior Samajwadi Party leader and minister Shivpal Yadav today said there is "no place for criminals in our party" and insisted that there was no rift in his party over the issue.
Significantly, Mr Yadav, the brother of SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav who had last week announced the merger of QED with his party before it was called off, was conspicuous by his absence at the oath-taking ceremony this morning when Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav expanded his Council of Ministers.
He was said to be sulking after the party's parliamentary board decided on Saturday last to call off the merger following unhappiness expressed by the chief minister besides criticism by other parties.
"There is no place of criminals in our party," Mr Shivpal Yadav said at an event in Lucknow.
"As far as issue of Mukhtar Ansari is concerned, our party had never taken him. We had taken Afzal Ansari and his MLA brother (Sigbatullaha Ansari). But, but it is all the media's game. They never showed it and took only Mukhtar's name. I ask you (media) not to give importance to criminal elements," he said.
QED is a party founded by Mukhtar Ansari along with his brothers Afzal and Sigbatullaha in 2010. Mukhtar, who is jail in connection with the murder of a BJP leader, and Sigbatullaha are the two legislators of the party.
"The chief minister is working in a planned manner and in the right way. When any decision is taken, all the leaders in the Cabinet are collectively responsible for it. All his decisions are acceptable." Mr Shivpal Yadav said.
During the oath-taking ceremony, Mr Yadav was away in Etawah, the home district of Mr Mulayam Singh where he reviewed development works of four adjoining districts.
SP national general secretary Ram Gopal Yadav, however, downplayed the absence of Mr Shivpal at the oath-taking ceremony, saying he was out of town and thus could not attend.
"There are no differences within Samajwadi Party...media has been spreading all sorts of wrong reports," he stressed.
SP's Rajya Sabha member Amar Singh also spoke in the same vein.
