Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav on Thursday attacked Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi saying he weakened the position of the Prime Minister by tearing an ordinance publicly and humiliated Manmohan Singh in the country and abroad.
“His abrasive behaviour shows such a person (Rahul Gandhi) does not deserve to become the Prime Minister of the country,” Mulayam said, adding that the stature of the Prime Minister was weakened not by the Opposition but by his own party.
“The Prime Minister should have resigned immediately and refused to accept public humiliation,” the Samajwadi Party chief said.
The Samajwadi Party had organised its third rally named ‘Desh Bachao-Desh Banao’ (Save the Country, Build the Country) in Bareilly on Thursday after the earlier public meets in Azamgarh and Mainpuri.
The entire leadership of Uttar Pradesh’s ruling party flocked here for the rally which was described as a showdown against BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi who also addressed a rally in Agra on Thursday. On the recent controversy and wavering stand of the UPA government on the issue of Sri Lanka, Mulayam said some MPs in India wanted the division of the island nation, which it would never tolerate. “How can Sri Lanka be split on language issue,” questioned Mulayam adding that boundaries of the nation were not safe in the UPA hands, as has been proven, he said, by repeated intrusions committed by China.
“When I was the Defence Minister, I had ordered our forces to penetrate China. Our soldiers had set up camps four kilometres inside China and it could not do anything. If you want to check it you can confirm from the records,” Mulayam claimed. Clarifying his controversial remarks on the use of English language, the Samajwadi Party chief advocated that people should speak in their regional languages and not copy a foreign language.
He again predicted that the government to be formed after 2014 elections would be headed by the Third Front. “I have not favoured Muslims but done justice to them by ensuring their proportional participation.” With Mulayam’s speech concentrating on Congress criticism, the Samajwadi Party fielded Azam Khan to take on Modi. Khan criticised the Gujarat chief minister for “comparing Muslims with puppies”. “Such a man who dreams to rule the country is a serious threat to the nation as he has humiliated sacrifices made by Muslims,” he said.
While Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, who made a short speech, and Mulayam steered clear of the recent western UP riots, Khan said that “fascist and communal forces have killed poor Muslims who were reaping the harvests with their hands. And the same party (BJP) is facilitating its members (MLAs) for their role in the riots. What is the message and what where is this country going,” he asked.
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