By Faisal Fareed, TwoCircles.net,
Lucknow: Blood is thicker than water. The age old adage aptly summed up the disgraceful exit of veteran socialist leader Mohan Singh from the post of national spokesperson in Samajwadi Party on Thursday.
Singh was removed by SP supremo Mulayam Singh for his remarks which challenged the authority of state chief Akhilesh Yadav over DP Yadav’s inclusion in the party. To play safe, another kin Prof Ram Gopal Yadav has been appointed as the new national spokesperson of the party.
Mohan Singh (66) is presently also national general secretary and Rajya Sabha member of the party. He has been elected to Lok Sabha thrice. A seasoned politician, Mohan Singh also participated in the JP movement.
However, the leader forgot the basics in a family run party. Over the recent controversy surrounding MLA DP Yadav’s inclusion in the party, Mohan Singh was stick to rule books and had stated that the final decision for giving membership to any person rests with the national executive committee of the party.
With Akhilesh categorically stating that DP Yadav will not be included in the party, the remarks of Mohan Singh were taken as a challenge to his authority. The result he was unceremoniously removed from the post of national spokesperson of the party and replaced with Prof Ram Gopal
Yadav.
The decision also substantiated the fact that Akhilesh is finally calling the shot in the party with Mulayam taking a back seat. Earlier, in a similar incident Shivpal Yadav has inducted cabinet minister Naseemuddin Siddiqui’s brother Haseenuddin Siddiqui. However, Akhilesh blocked his entry in the party. Since, the incident involved Shivpal Yadav, it was buried. The message is clear — ‘Don’t dare to criticise Yadav family’.
In the ticket distribution also several loyal party workers were ignored and those surrounding Akhilesh were rewarded with ticket. Any resentment also led to expulsion including Mulayam’s relative Urmial Yadav in Mainpuri.
With all major decisions now being taken by Akhilesh, party workers too are surrounding him. It was Akhilesh’s move by which party shedding its rustic image turned tech savvy. From computer bashing and anti English stand, it now runs webpage, accounts on social networking sites in English.