By IANS,
Lucknow : Samajwadi Party MP Shafiqur Rehman Burke Thursday said Muslims would never pardon party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav for his growing bonhomie with rebel Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Kalyan Singh, who was Uttar Pradesh chief minister when the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya was razed in 1992.
Burke, Lok Sabha member from Moradabad, said several other prominent Muslim leaders in the Samajwadi Party felt the same way.
These included MP from Budaun Saleem Sherwani and Rampur MLA Azam Khan, who were reported to be even considering to sever ties with Mulayam Singh.
“Mulayam Singh Yadav has clearly betrayed Muslims by joining hands with the man who had spearheaded the mosque demolition mission,” Burke told mediapersons here Thursday evening.
“Mulayam Singh has apparently forgotten the contribution of Muslims to making what the Samajwadi Party is today.”
Burke’s disillusionment with the party president became more apparent when he went to the extent of suspecting an underhand deal between Mulayam Singh and Kalyan Singh even at the time the Babri mosque was demolished.
Commenting on the recent statements of the two leaders, Burke said: “The way these two leaders were busy holding a brief for each other arouses suspicion that they could have had some secret understanding to even get the mosque pulled down.”
Asked if he was planning to quit the Samajwadi Party, Burke said, “As of now, I have decided to contest as an Independent from Moradabad itself and I can assure you that the Samajwadi Party will have to pay for the current bonhomie with Kalyan Singh.”