BJP's CHALLENGE to Mulayam: Cut off ties with UPA

Hitting out at Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav for favouring a Third Front, the Bharatiya Janata Party on Wednesday dared him to first cut off ties with the United Progressive Alliance government, of which his party has been a "part and parcel".

BJP spokesperson Rajiv Pratap Rudy claimed that Yadav is "showing a lot of desperation" about a Third Front, though he himself is supporting the "corrupt" UPA government.

"He should first set free the country from the UPA government," he said.

The Opposition stated that in the country's polity, there is no place for a Third Front as the contest is between the Congress-led UPA and the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance.

"Mulayam Singh Yadav is with the UPA though he wants to wash his hands off it. A Third Front can emerge only when the Left has a sizable number. But the Left has been decimated. So, it is a battle line drawn between the UPA and the NDA," Rudy said.

The BJP hit out at Yadav, alleging that he cannot be trusted as he goes back on his word very often.

"What is the Samajwadi Party after all? It is a regional party which has 19 Members of Parliament headed by Mulayam Singh. It contests against the Congress in UP and supports the Congress in Delhi," he said.

The BJP enumerated several instances when the SP had come to the "rescue" of the UPA government.

"These include the cut motion moved by the Opposition on price rise, opposing the move by the Public Accounts Committee to summon the prime minister and his aide in the 2G spectrum case, and supporting the Congress candidate in the presidential and vice-presidential elections," he said.

"Mulayam Singh and the SP have never disappointed the Congress. It is true that he has disappointed the country several times but never the Congress. He and his party are part and parcel of the UPA government," Rudy said.

"In the PAC, when the prime minister and his aide were to be summoned in the 2G spectrum case, the Samajwadi Party strongly opposed it. In the presidential and vice-presidential elections, SP was one of the first parties to announce its support to the Congress candidate," Rudy said.

The BJP further pointed out that when a dinner was hosted by UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi to celebrate the achievements of the government, the SP chief's brother and party MP Ramgopal Yadav was also present.

"In the last eight years, SP has stood by and supported the UPA. This is what the SP, headed by Yadav, is," Rudy said.

He wondered if Yadav has floated this idea of a Third Front just to "capture headlines". Rudy added that Yadav could not be trusted as he may say something in the morning and then back out in the evening.

Throwing a challenge to Yadav, Rudy said, "This is the right time. It is not too late for the Samajwadi Party. If they are convinced that the UPA government is working against the interest of the people and is highly corrupt, then it should go to Rashtrapati Bhawan and withdraw its letter of support to it."