White flags don’t signal ceasefire in SP stronghold

White flags are usually said to be a sign of truce but in Uttar Pradesh, they indicate that the war in the Yadav family is far from over.

White flags with a photograph of UP chief minister Akhilesh Yadav and a tag line that says ‘Akhilesh dil se, Akhilesh phir se’ have been put in up Etawah and, particularly, Sefai, the native village of the Yadav clan. These flags do not have the traditional red and green colours of the Samajwadi Party and have set rumour mills spinning.

Sources said SP MP Akshay Yadav, the son of expelled SP general secretary Ram Gopal Yadav, sponsored these white flags and over 100 of them are put up in the area. Anuj Dikshit, a local SP leader and a loyalist of Akshay Yadav said, “There is no need for any colour because Akhilesh Yadav is a popular mass leader.”

Former SP Etawah district president Rajiv Yadav also defended the white banners saying that Akhilesh Yadav holds a constitutional post hence there is no need for any party colour in these banners. Akshay Yadav had issued statements in support of the CM after Mulayam Singh Yadav expelled his father from the party. He also levelled serious charges on state SP president Shivpal Yadav .

All leaders of the Yadav clan are known to celebrate all major festivals in Sefai but in view of the prevailing infighting, it is still not known whether the family will come together to celebrate Diwali on Sunday or not. A family source, meanwhile, said the white flags have been put up to send a clear message to SP president Mulayam Singh Yadav that whether he wants or not, Akhilesh Yadav will be next chief minister — with or without the party.