New Delhi: Samajwadi Party (SP) leader and Rajya Sabha member Amar Singh has said he is pained by the unacceptable harassment that he is being subjected to by Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav's supporters.
He said the matter has crossed all limits of tolerance and it was time for him to speak to party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav, who has stood by him even against the wishes of his son.
"A senior leader, while speaking against demonetisation in the Rajya Sabha, said action should be taken against me. At the time when the senior leader was speaking in the Rajya Sabha, an FIR was being registered against me in Azamgarh at the behest of a senior minister, as an SSP told me. Had I not registered a counter complaint in advance, and had I not informed the IB, and had I not informed a New Delhi DCP, then the Uttar Pradesh Government would have possibly arrested me on those charges," Singh told ANI.
"My effigies are being burnt in Azamgarh and Lucknow; a minister of the state government is doing so to please the chief minister, and the chief minister who is the son of a person whom I regard as a brother. In such a situation what would you feel? I am pained by such things. I have not threatened anybody, and I will speak to Mulayam Singhji," said Amar Singh, a confidante and long-time friend of the SP's national president.
"Mulayam Singhji against his son's wishes stood with me publically, which is a debt on me. Hence, I don't want to hurt him, but now the matter has crossed all limits of tolerance," he added.
Recalling that he had said in an interview to a news channel that the political face of Uttar Pradesh will change by October-November, close to the state polls, he said, "My statement, which I had given as a political analyst, was interpreted as if I want to displace Akhilesh to reinstate Mulayam Singhji."
"I had said that after observing Modiji's working style. He gives a long leverage to his political opponents, and when there is an election, he comes to the field displaying his special skills," he said.
"In West Bengal, all stings against Mamata's cabinet ministers were on corruption, it's another thing that it did not have any surprising impact on the voters. Madan Mitra, a cabinet-level minister - as the matter is in the court, I will not say that Modiji and Amit Shahji got him arrested due to some malice - but he was arrested just before the elections and has not been released till today," said Singh to buttress his statement on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah's style of functioning.
But my statement was interpreted as if I want to displace Akhilesh to reinstate Mulayam Singhji. I have not threatened anybody, and I will speak to Mulayam Singhji," he added.
Speaking to ANI on October 27, Singh, who kept himself away from the media during infighting in Mulayam Singh Yadav's clan and was portrayed as a villain by Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, had said he might not be with CM Akhilesh, but would always be with Mulayam's son Akhilesh.
"I may not be with CM Akhilesh, but I will always be with Mulayam Singh Yadav's son Akhilesh. The father of the SP and the chief minister are the same, and god stands as a testimony that whenever I spoke to Netaji, it was in favour of Akhilesh, Netaji also knows this truth," Singh told ANI, while responding to Akhilesh's allegations.
"When I was struggling for life and undergoing a dialysis, Netaji had come to meet me and he said there was a discussion on the issue of state president and when Akhilesh Yadav replaced Shivpal Yadav as the UP SP president, even then I was blamed for it," said Singh.
"When his (Akhilesh's) family was opposing his marriage, I was the only one who stood by him, but today I am hurt by his words. There is no photo of his wedding, where this 'dalal' is not there," an emotional Singh had responded then when was called a "dalal" (agent).
"It is possible to meet Rahul Gandhi, but meeting Akhilesh is difficult. If my 'bali' (sacrifice) can solve the problem, I am ready for it," he had added then.
