Exposing differences in the Samajwadi Party leadership, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and party general secretary Amar Singh today made contradictory statements on the army's surgical strikes in the Pakistan occupied Kashmir.
While Akhilesh Yadav backed Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi for his controversial 'dalali' remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Amar Singh praised the PM for the army's action and claimed that the Centre had consulted SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav on the surgical strikes.
Akhilesh and Singh were daggers drawn in the inner-party battle recently with the former calling the latter an “outsider” in the family dispute.
When asked about Rahul's "dalali" remarks on PM, Akhilesh said, “If he has said something he must have given it much thought. He must have some information about it."
The Samajwadi Party leader added that It was not a question of Congress but he has good relations with Rahul Gandhi.
Rahul's remarks that the Modi government was "profiteering" (dalai) from the blood spilt by the soldiers had drawn criticism from BJP which accused him of insulting the armed forces. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and NCP too had disapproved of Rahul's remarks.
However, Rahul and his party maintained that they supported the military action but denounced "political propaganda" on the issue.
Akhilesh also took a dig at Modi for attending the Dussehra festivities in Lucknow, saying "had there been elections in Bihar, he would have slayed Ravan there".
"He is coming to Lucknow, he will give something big to us. We have expectations from him for progress of the state," he said.
Commenting on surgical strikes and its politicisation, the Chief Minister said that he had visited the families of martyred soldiers and helped them.
"Ultimately, the poor lost their lives, the farmers are dying, their sons are dying, so what do they know about surgical strike?
"The question is if you and I have good ties but the relations on border are strained, the country and the world are unable to understand this," he said.
Akhilesh was addressing the media after launching the Samajwadi Smartphone yojana under which free smartphones will be distributed to eligible candidates.
Meanwhile, in Mirzapur, Amar Singh congratulated Modi on the strikes saying, "The Prime Minister had taken all the parties into confidence in this matter and has also instructed his partymen not to thump their chests over it."
Singh also described Modi's visit to Pakistan as "part of diplomacy" and warned the Congress and the secularists about their "choice of words" on the issue as otherwise, it could "help the BJP".
Recently, there was a speculation about a "rift" within the SP fold with reports that Akhilesh was against Singh, who had left the party, being recalled.
But, SP supremo and Akhilesh's father Mulayam Singh Yadav not only brought Singh back into the partyfold but also made him its national general secretary, months before the 2017 Uttar Pradesh Assembly election.
Singh though denied any rift in the party and said all in the SP were 'sewak' (servitors) of Akhilesh.
"There is no rift in the party. We are all 'sewak' of Akhilesh as the work of an organisation is 'seva' (service). Our chief ministerial face (for the 2017 polls) is Akhilesh," he told reporters.
