At Samajwadi Party’s show of unity, Akhilesh and Shivpal lock horns

Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav hit back at his detractors within the Samajwadi Party (SP) on Saturday without naming them, saying he was ready for any test and cautioned against “damage” to the party.

“Some people are not willing to understand. When everything (Samajwadi Party) will get destroyed, then they will understand,” Akhilesh said at the Samajwadi Party’s silver jubilee function at the Janeshwar Mishra Park as the turf war with his uncle Shivpal Yadav played out in the open.

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His reference to his uncle was barely veiled as he invoked Ram Manohar Lohia to make his point.

“As Lohia had said that people will understand me after my death. I say some people definitely understand (me) but after ruining the party forever,” said the CM.

That wasn’t all. The CM went on to say, “You have given me a sword but no authority to use it.” The comment was an apparent reference to interference in his work.

In another veiled reference to Shivpal’s remarks earlier at the function, he said, “I do not want anyone to prove his credentials, I am also prepared for any test but I do not want to reply to all the issues that have been raised here.”

Earlier in the morning, despite a public show of bonhomie among the Samajwadi Party’s ruling family, Shivpal took another swipe at Akhilesh.

“How many times will you humiliate me? You removed me twice but I have also struggled,” he said.

Still smarting after being sacked from the cabinet, he went on to say people who had done nothing for the party were today enjoying the perks of power.

In the morning, Akhilesh touched Shivpal’s feet on the stage as the celebrations began. But Shivpal, who began his address by praising Akhilesh’s work, soon resorted to some plain-speak as he ticked off his nephew for “humiliating” him twice.

“I don’t want to be CM,” Shivpal asserted.

“Even if you ask for my blood, I will give it,” he said. “I will make whatever sacrifice you want me to. I will bear all the humiliation. But I will not allow humiliation of netaji (SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav).”

For his part, Akhilesh took on the BJP after giving his detractors in his own party an earful.

“Uttar Pradesh has given more than 70 MPs to the BJP. But look what the party has done for the state. Nothing, except Adarsh Gram, which too has failed to take off,” he said.

Continuing his attack, the chief minister said: “The BJP wants to foment communal violence in UP. They have done nothing in two and a half years (in power at Centre). Therefore, they want to polarise the electorate by raising Kairana or Bijnore incidents.”

“The UP election will decide the future of the country. The BJP is dividing the people. We will come back in UP and stop the BJP,” he asserted.

The BJP had flagged alleged migration of Hindus from Kairana last summer due to threat by criminals of the minority community. It turned out later that most migration had taken place due to economic reasons.

The CM expressed confidence that the Samajwadi Party would again form the government in the state.

“Not only in 2017 but in 2019 (Lok Sabha polls), Uttar Pradesh will give unprecedented results and will change the course of politics in the country,” the chief minister said.

He also highlighted premier projects of his government including the Agra–Lucknow Expressway, Metro rail project in Lucknow and Samajwadi Pension scheme.

Akhilesh congratulated his father and Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav on “raising this party and making it sturdy through struggle, hard work and a roller-coaster ride.”

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