With its new-found friendship with Kalyan Singh creating unease in Congress, Samajwadi Party on Wednesday said it should not have any objection given the fact that several Shiv Sena leaders have become "spokespersons of secularism" after joining the Sonia Gandhi-led party.
"When Shiv Sena leaders like Narayan Rane, Chagan Bhujbal and Sanjay Nirupam could become spokespersons of secularism after leaving the party, then SP need not worry," SP general secretary Amar Singh remarked at a press conference at which the former BJP leader's son Rajbir Singh joined the party.
He said this when asked whether the coming together of SP and Kalyan would have an adverse effect on SP's secular credentials as also on its talks with Congress over seat sharing in Uttar Pradesh.
Dubbing the reports about differences with Congress over seat sharing as "media creation", he claimed, "I hope Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh would be happy about this development (coming together of SP and Kalyan)".
"After the exit of Kalyan, the soul of BJP has gone and Soniaji and Manmohan will be happy about it", Singh said.
His comments came as SP's moves to align with Kalyan has said to have created an unease in Congress as he was the Chief Minister of the state when the Babri Masjid was demolished in 1992.
{{/usCountry}}His comments came as SP's moves to align with Kalyan has said to have created an unease in Congress as he was the Chief Minister of the state when the Babri Masjid was demolished in 1992.
{{/usCountry}}"Since we have come in contact with Sonia ji and Manmohan Singh we have never made any adverse comments.. We have even directed our party office bearers no to do so otherwise action will be taken against them", Singh said, adding that they expected the same from the Congress.
"We want them (Congress) to advise their office bearers to practice self-restraint", he said.