Remove schism between rich, poor with development: Mulayam

LUCKNOW: Samajwadi party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav today said there was a vast schism between the rich and the poor in the country and it should be removed by ensuring development for all.

"We have to devise such a system that no one dies of hunger...There is a schism between rich and poor and this should be taken care of by ensuring development by changing the system," Yadav said while addressing SP workers during Independence Day celebrations at party office here.

He said it was unfortunate that only a handful of people were living a lavish life while lakhs of farmers had committed suicide due to starvation and debts.

"The situation of the country has improved a bit but the dreams of freedom fighters are yet unfulfilled...We all should take pledge to ensure that everyone gets 'roti, kapda aur makan' (food, cloth and house)," Yadav said.

On the border dispute with Pakistan, Mulayam claimed that he had advised the Centre to pass a resolution condemning the attacks but no heed was paid.

"I had advised the Centre to pass a resolution condemning Pakistan...but they did not pay heed to it. But later, it was passed when Pakistan had passed the resolution against India," he said.

Pakistan's National Assembly had on Tuesday passed a resolution accusing Indian troops of "unprovoked aggression" on the LoC and extending support to the "struggle" of the Kashmiri people.

In retaliation, Parliament yesterday rejected the resolution, saying the ceasefire violations along the LoC were done by the Pakistani Army and dismissed as "absolutely baseless" the allegations against Indian army.