To inculcate a sense of discipline in its cadres, the ruling Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh has finally decided to initiate action against party workers who have refused to obey the party’s directives.
According to sources, the party has drawn up lists of nearly 4,000 party workers who have been violating the party’s directive, despite repeated assertions by party president Mulayam Singh Yadav and chief minister Akhilesh Yadav. The SP leaders have been regularly pointing out to party cadres that their unrestrained behaviour was tarnishing the image of the party but the warnings have apparently had no bearing on over-zealous party workers.
Mr Akhilesh Yadav, soon after being sworn in as the chief minister, had issued a circular specifying the party leaders who were entitled to put up the party flag on their vehicles. He had said that no other party leaders — except those named in the circular — would be allowed to put the party flag on their cars. However, this had little impact and party workers of all sizes and statures were seen flaunting the party flags and bull dozing their way around. Those who did not put up flags on their cars, put up large stickers along the windscreens with the slogan — “Vijay 2012: Lakshya 2014” — and photographs of Mr Mulayam Singh and Mr Akhilesh Yadav.
To make matters worse, even senior leaders, like SP general secretary Ram Asrey Kushwaha, got their supporters to put up hoardings proclaiming him as “Cabinet minister” when he was appointed chairman of the Science and Technology Council. He later blamed it on enthusiastic supporters.
“There are people in the party and even outside it who are misusing the party’s name to assert their non-existent influence. With cars bearing the party flag, they break traffic signals and traffic rules and use the party stickers and collars on their visiting cards to intimidate officials. After this, we have decided to get tough and a 15 member committee has been set up to identify such elements and take action against them,” said a senior SP leader.