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Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav on Friday complained that Congress has not been treating his party well but despite that he ruled out withdrawal of support to the United Progressive Alliance government.
"The Congress is not treating us well. But our politics is based on principles and we will not give that up," he said.
Amid talk about the possibility of two parties forging a tie-up in Uttar Pradesh after the upcoming assembly polls, Yadav said, "We will continue to support the Congress-led government at the Centre. That's because we wish to keep communal forces at bay."
To a question whether his party would support any attempt to bring down the government at the Centre, he told Prabhu Chawla for Teekhi Baat programme on IBN-7 channel, "There are only two years left for the next general elections, so why topple? We will not withdraw support."
On the upcoming elections in Uttar Pradesh, the former chief minister expressed hope that his party will form the next government without any support.
He indicated that he would be party's chief ministerial candidate when he ruled out taking "rest", saying "I am healthy and strong... I have not given up on politics".
Yadav made the remarks apparently to dispel the notion that he was projecting his son Akhilesh to carry the banner.
Asked whether he or his son would take responsible if the party loses, the SP chief said, "We are confident that the people will vote us in with a clear majority. We will win. If we lose the defeat will be the party's."
He elaborated on this by saying that it was "not me or my son but the Samajwadi Party that is fighting (the elections)."