Lucknow: Under attack from within the party
for its by-poll debacle in Uttar Pradesh, SP leader Amar Singh
today said he would serve the party as an ordinary worker and
not occupy the dais till the party returned to power.
Addressing a function to honour party MLA Abu Asim Azmi,
who was attacked in Maharashtra Assembly recently for taking
oath in Hindi, the Samajwadi Party general secretary described
himself as the "darzi" (tailor) of party President Mulayam
Singh Yadav, saying that he had no hand in any of the leaders
joining or quitting the party.
Singh, who is facing criticism from within the party for
bringing in Kalyan Singh, a factor being held responsible for
the SP's dismal showing in UP bypolls, said he only implements
wishes of the party chief and vowed not to get onto the dais
and serve the party as an ordinary worker sitting among them
in party functions till it returned to power.
Referring to the criticism, specially by party leaders
hailing from eastern districts of the state, Amar Singh said
that he was not in the party for the lure of power or to rule
it.
On Azmi, Amar Singh said that initially party leadership
had been warned against him by people who termed him as the
"don's man" but Mulayam Singh Yadav always stood by him.
"By taking oath in Hindi, Azmi has proved that he is
"Hindustan Ka Admi" and not that of the don", he said.
Calling MNS Chief Raj Thackeray as the "illegitimate
child" of Congress and the NCP, Amar Singh asked Azmi not to
reply to his "hooliganism" and advised him to act with
restraint.
Bureau Report
First Published: Tuesday, November 17, 2009, 23:36