Mulayam gives 10-day ultimatum to SP ministers to 'mend' ways

Lucknow: With elections fast approaching, SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav today gave a 10-day ultimatum to party ministers and babus in UP to “mend their ways” or face the sack and even ticked off his son and Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav asking him to keep distance from “sycophants”. Addressing a gathering at CM's 5 Kalidas Marg residence here, Mulayam, while pointing at cabinet minister Mohd Azam Khan, said, “In your government, sycophants are ruling the roost” and added that the state government was “weakening” the party with its performance.“Ministers and officers, you all should mend your ways within 10 days,” he said.Turning to the CM, Mulayam said, “You (Akhilesh) should not fall in the trap of sycophants. You have become habitual of hearing ‘Sir'.... The outcome of those, who fall in the trap of sycophants, is not good.”He said the state government should not sit on files related to roads, electricity and water projects. “I have not reviewed the performance of ministers in the state government but I know what they are doing. Ministers and officers, you all should mend your ways within 10 days.... The party is bigger than the government.... This government is weakening the party,” said Mulayam, who has in the past too voiced unhappiness of the functioning of the Akhilesh government.“Some persons are trying to betray me and think that they will continue as ministers...”, he warned. As he was advising son Akhilesh, Azam interrupted him in an attempt to give a clarification saying the government was being run as per the directives of the SP supremo. “Ab to kabr me hi jana baki hai... baki zindgi to apke naam kar di (I have devoted all the life to you.... Now, only going to grave is left),” Khan said.Yadav said that officers should take prompt decision on files instead of holding them and government should provide facilities like roads, electricity and water to the people. “This is not a difficult task,” he emphasised.Taking pot-shots at previous Mayawati government, Mulayam alleged that no work was done in the power sector in the previous regime, which left the state backward. “The present government is concentrating on power sector and electricity is important for all the works be it agriculture or other,” he said.On the occasion, inauguration of power projects worth Rs 3926 crore was also held and power purchase agreements of 1361 MW were also signed.Akhilesh said that in the days to come people would get a chance to evaluate the works done by SP, BJP, BSP and Congress and they would have different picture of the SP in their minds.He said that the government was trying to ensure 22-24 hour power in urban areas and 16-18 hours power in rural areas by 2016.