Mulayam plays the 'martyr'

Samajwadi Party leader and UP chief minister Mulayam Singh Yadav on Wednesday ruled out withdrawing support from the government at the Centre ? despite his party?s complaints against it ? as he moved out lock, stock and barrel from his 2, Krishna Menon Marg residence.

Samajwadi Party leader and UP chief minister Mulayam Singh Yadav on Wednesday ruled out withdrawing support from the government at the Centre — despite his party’s complaints against it — as he moved out lock, stock and barrel from his 2, Krishna Menon Marg residence.

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Talking to reporters while vacating his bungalow, allotted to him 10 years ago, Mulayam said his party was targeted whenever the Congress was in power. However, he said, there was “no question” of withdrawing support as he couldn’t let communal forces take advantage of the situation. Nor was there any proposal to launch a “non-Congress Morcha”. He did say, though, that a third political alternative was in the country’s “interest” and the Left should consider it. The CM said the SP’s national executive would meet soon.

Listing his party’s grievances, Mulayam said: “Why must these things happen when the Congress is in power?” His complaints: He was being “evicted”, party MP Jaya Bachchan wasn’t allotted accommodation, Amar Singh’s phone was being tapped and Amitabh Bachchan was served an I-T notice when he was ill.

Accompanied by party colleagues Amar Singh, Jayaprada, Jaya Bachchan and Ram Gopal Yadav, Mulayam said his only interest in retaining the bungalow was his security. Asked if he was being forced out by Sonia Gandhi, he said he wasn’t naming anybody.

Mulayam also said he had to pay a Rs 1.58 lakh monthly penalty for the house. He added that he wasn’t “bothered” about leaving as he was a man of the street.