Mulayam Singh Yadav is 'jealous of' Akhilesh Yadav: Ram Gopal Yadav

NEW DELHI: Tensions in the Samajwadi Party (SP) continued on Tuesday, with expelled leader Ram Gopal Yadav alleging that party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav is "jealous of" the popularity of his son and Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav.

He also said that "without Akhilesh there is no SP" and that his "only aim" is to ensure Akhilesh becomes CM again.

"Every father wants that his son should do better than him. But here the opposite is happening. This should not happen. This is sad," said the expelled Ram Gopal, who is Mulayam's cousin and Akhilesh's uncle.

In this political drama, which is as much a family feud as it is a party feud, SP chief Mulayam and his brother Shivpal Yadav are on one side, while Akhilesh, and Mulayam's cousin Ram Gopal are on the other.

"Jadugars (sorcerers) have poisoned Netaji's mind," said Ram Gopal, about his cousin and SP chief Mulayam.
The reference was clearly to Amar Singh, whom Ram Gopal slammed for being a "fake". He asked "what is so special" about the man who was himself out in the wilderness for six years.

Ram Gopal blames Amar Singh for the rift in the party. Last month, Mulayam appointed Amar Singh the National General Secretary of the party almost six years after he was removed from it - and that has been a significant cause of friction between the father and the son.

"Even in economics this happens, "Khota sikka ne asli sikke ko market se bahaar kar diya (fake currency has effectively pushed out the genuine one from the market) ", said Ram Gopal Yadav about Amar Singh."Netaji (Mulayam) and Shivpal ji will tell you as to what is so special about him," said Ram Gopal, who was expelled Sunday evening from the SP.