Ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Swami Prasad Maurya on Tuesday tendered his resignation from the position of general secretary of the party. However, the 70-year-old leader would continue to remain a member of the party.
He wrote a letter to SP chief Akhilesh Yadav regarding his decision and apprised him of his resignation. Meanwhile, Maurya also said that he would keep trying to strengthen the party even without the post.
What Maurya wrote in his resignation letter?
In his resignation letter, Maurya revealed that he had proposed the idea of a 'Rath Yatra' to Akhilesh Yadav, aimed at advocating for a caste-based census, protecting reservation, addressing unemployment issues, and safeguarding the Constitution. He emphasized that his intention was to bolster support for the party through such initiatives. He claimed Akhilesh had agreed to commence the yatra following the festival of Holi. However, despite the agreement, the 'Rath Yatra' initiative never materialised, he claimed.
'Discrimination within the party'
Maurya further expressed that he had been working tirelessly to expand the party's support base in his own capacity. However, when efforts were made to re-engage individuals who had been swayed by the BJP, certain lower-ranking party members dismissed these efforts as merely 'Maurya's personal endeavours'. He also pointed out the discrepancy in how his statements as the party's national general secretary were treated as "personal opinions", whereas statements from other general secretaries were automatically attributed to the party. This inconsistency surprised him, Maurya added.
Maurya in controversy
It should be mentioned here that Maurya recently garnered attention for his contentious comments regarding 'Sanatan Dharma', Hindutva, and the construction of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya. His remarks about the Ramcharitmanas also sparked considerable controversy, drawing condemnation from various quarters, including within and outside the party. The Akhilesh Yadav-led party has subsequently distanced itself from Maurya's statements, asking him to refrain from making remarks that could potentially offend people's religious sentiments.
