Amar Went 'All Alone' To Lend Party's Backing To UPA-II: SP

After his party bailed out the Congress-led Government on the Indo-US nuclear deal issue, Amar Singh started bargaining with it for his "own interests" and after the elections even went ahead "all alone" to lend the party's backing to UPA-II, the Samajwadi Party alleged on Sunday . 

At the same time, party leader Mohan Singh made it clear that the SP does not plan to withdraw support to the government saying it does not believe in bringing instability at the Centre through frequent elections.

"Even though several party leaders were in favour of sitting in the Opposition after last year's Lok Sabha polls, Amar Singh went all alone to the Rashtrapati Bhavan to give the party's letter of support to UPA-II to President Pratibha Patil," Mohan Singh told PTI in an interview.

He claimed that extending support to the Government was not the party's decision and therefore no one accompanied Amar Singh.  Amar Singh could not be reached for his comment.  Mohan Singh, who was made the General Secretary and Spokesman of the party recently following the rebel leader's resignation from these posts, declared that the SP was determined to force Amar Singh to resign from his Rajya Sabha seat. And would not fall into his trap by expelling him. 

He alleged that the rebel leader harmed the party's interests on several occasions.  Citing an instance, Mohan Singh said after lending support he started making "silly threats" to the UPA on every occasion.  "After 26/11 Amar Singh demanded that SP will withdraw support if Pakistan is not attacked.

Such an action could have created tension between the two nations. People of both the countries have good relations with each other.  Leaders like Mulayam Singh Yadav and Lalu Prasad are loved by their people," Mohan Singh said.

He added that such an "irresponsible" statement made SP a laughing stock.  Besides, Mohan Singh was critical of Amar for his alleged role in the cash for vote drama.  Mohan Singh alleged "the whole episode where MPs were displaying currency notes in Lok Sabha, showed our Parliamentary democracy in poor light... A party forcibly tried to buy support during trust vote on nuclear deal. 

Congress itself could have made arrangements (for ensuring support), but who told Amar Singh to get involved in the whole episode. He was not required in it."  The SP leader was unsparing in his criticism of the Congress though he said "forward looking forces" were the natural allies of the party.

Attacking the ruling party for its failure to control price rise, he said "whenever congress is in power, prices rise. Inflation is at an all time high and it is all due to Congress misrule and the concerned ministers claim helplessness in curbing the trend." 

On signals from SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav to Left parties and JD(U) on coming together over issues like combating unemployment and price rise, Mohan Singh said that during the agitation against price rise in Bihar, RJD, Ram Vilas Paswan and even the Left parties were together.  "A message has come from Bihar. If we move ahead it will be a progressive movement," he said. 

Asked about the morale of partymen defeat in UP byelections, the SP leader said, "ups and downs are part of any political party. Assembly byelections are not an issue of worry."  Mohan Singh struck a buoyant note on the changes in the party after Amar's exit. "The changes in the party have evoked a wave of excitement among party workers. 

They are now again confident that socialist faces of the party have come to the fore.  There are four years still left for next Lok Sabha polls and assembly polls in UP are in 2012. We will garner support and it will depend on how hard we work. When people are ready then revival does not take time". PTI