By Andalib Akhter, TwoCircles.net
New Delhi: The Samajwadi Party Chief Mulayam Singh Yadav has not only been receiving flak from Muslim leaders of his party and other secular parties for making friendship with former BJP leader and chief minister of Uttar Pradesh Kalyan Singh, the senior non-Muslim leaders within the SP too have lodged their protest over the issue.
Sources close to senior Samajwadi leaders Janeshwar Mishrea, Mohan Singh, Reoti Raman Singh and Bhagwati Singh told this correspondent that these leaders were not happy with party decisions taken in recent days. Not only over the friendship with Kalyan Singh, they are also unhappy over unilateral decision of fielding Sanjay Dutt from Lucknow and announcement of name of other candidates without finalisation of seat adjustment with Congress party. Senior party leader and well known socialist leader Janeshwar Mishra has reportedly asked the party president Mulayam Singh Yadav as at whose behest such decisions are being taken. Mulayam Singh met Mishra here on Wednesday to discuss resentment brewing within the party.
Mishra reportedly told the party chief that if senior leaders of the party continued to be ignored in such a way, it would be difficult to save the party. Mishra also expressed anger over Amar Singh’s visit to Deoband and returning empty hand from the well known Islamic seminary.
Other senior leaders who have been associated with the party even before the incursion of Amar Singh too have similar sentiments over the issue.
Samajwadi Party’s Muslim leaders like Azam Khan, Rashid Masood, Shafiqur Rahman Barq, Salim Sherwani and other leaders have already lodged their protest over the inclusion of Kalyan Singh.