No birthday bash for Mulayam due to pain over demonetisation: Mayawati

LUCKNOW: BSP supremo Mayawati today claimed that Samajwadi Party president Mulayam Singh Yadav did not celebrate his birthday this year "not out of any sympathy for the train tragedy" but because of "pain over demonetisation".

"More than the sorrow over several people losing their lives in the train tragedy, it was the pain over demonetisation that Mulayam Singh Yadav did not celebrate his birthday this year with fanfare or government festivities," she alleged in a statement here.

"Had the Samajwadi Party chief and his party been this sensitive and concerned over the issues related to common people, why would they have organised Saifai mahotsav after the Muzaffarnagar communal riots," Mayawati asked.

"The birthday of 'netaji' (Mulayam) used to be celebrated every year with simplicity. But this year the party has decided not to celebrate it due to the tragic train accident," Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav had said yesterday.

Mulayam, was born on November 22, 1939 in Saifai village in Etawah district of Uttar Pradesh. The party generally celebrates Mulayam's birthday with great pomp and show.

Last year's celebrations involved a live concert by A R Rahman, while Bollywood personalties like Amitabh Bachchan, Salman Khan, Hrithik Roshan and business tycoons also attended the event.

Mayawati also condemned the incident of lathi charge by police on people queuing up outside banks in Fatehpur.