Ministers in the Akhilesh Yadav government are out to negate the assertions made by Samajwadi Party president Mulayam Singh Yadav. The situation is becoming embarrassing for the Samajwadi Party leaders in Lucknow though they had been trying hard to downplay the issue.
Two days ago, at a party function in Sefai in Etawah, Mr Mulayam Singh Yadav had expressed his displeasure with the performance of the ministers in the Akhilesh Yadav government. In the presence of the chief minister, Mr Mulayam Singh Yadav said that he was unhappy with the poor performance of ministers and asked the chief minister to pull up his socks.
After the statement, that sent shock waves in party circles, all senior ministers set out to deny the allegations made by the party chief, adding to the embarrassment. Senior UP minister Ambica Choudhury, who holds the revenue portfolio, said, “Netaji (Mulayam Singh) is certainly not angry with me and has bestowed his affection on me. If he was upset with my performance, I would not have been given the task of supervising the 125th year celebrations of the UP Assembly.”
Raja Mahendra Aridaman Singh, minister for transport, said, “My department is working overtime to deliver results and the SP president is certainly not upset with me. I do not know about others.”
UP minister for khadi and village industries Rajaram Pandey said, “My department is very small and if the party president is angry, then he must be angry with the senior ministers.” UP minister for jails and food and civil supplies Raghuraj Pratap Singh, alias Raja Bhaiyya, felt that since the system had been completely derailed in the previous regime, it would take time to bring it back on tracks.
***
U.P. cm promises to set things right in a week
age correspondent
Lucknow, Jan. 17
UP chief minister Akhilesh Yadav has promised to “set things right” within one week. Referring to the statements made by Samajwadi Party president Mulayam Singh Yadav, he said that he was apprised of the “weak links” in the government and will set it right within a week. Mr Yadav, on Thursday, was addressing a meeting of the state executive of the Samajwadi Party here.
Earlier, at the same meeting, Mr Mulayam Singh Yadav had expressed his displeasure at the functioning of the government and lamented the lack of coordination between the party and the government.