New Delhi:
Portrayed as a villain by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav in the ongoing feud in the Yadav clan, Amar Singh on Thursday broke his silence on the issue, saying he was ready to "sacrifice" himself if it can help resolve the crisis.
He also hit out at expelled Samajwadi Party leader Ram Gopal Yadav for "threatening" him, saying if anything happens to him, the blame would lie on the cousin of party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav.
"Sacrifice me. I am ready, if sacrifice can solve the problem," he said here. Reaching out to Akhilesh, he said the young leader should not go by what "backbiters" say.
"Let Mulayam Singh say that I have said anything against Akhilesh...there is a new breed of people who are with the CM as he is in power. I am, was, and would remain with Akhilesh, the son of Mulayam Singh, not the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh...Mulayam is not only the father of Akhilesh, but also the Samajwadi Party," Singh said.
He said when Akhilesh was made the SP UP unit chief replacing Shivpal Singh yadav, even then he (Amar Singh) was blamed for it. "Even now I am being blamed," he quipped.
He said when Akhilesh's family was opposing his plans to marry Dimple, "I was the one who stood by him, but today I am hurt by his words. There is no photo of his wedding in which this 'dalal' (power broker) is not there," he said, expressing disappointment over the remarks of the Chief Minister. Akhilesh had recently called Singh a 'dalal'.
Singh also dismissed the charge that a news report calling Akhilesh 'Aurangzeb' was published at his behest. He said a "probe" would clear the issue.
Responding to a poser on claim by Ram Gopal that no one can guarantee his safety as well as that of Shivpal if they made any statement against the former in public, Singh said it was an open "threat" and he would seek protection from the Union Home Minister.
"Ram Gopal is no ordinary person, he knows how to use a pen as well as a carbine...If I die or am hurt, Ram Gopal is to be blamed...I want to live for my two 15-year-old daughters and my wife...I would leave India... Please let me live," Singh said.
Replying to a question about his remarks that access to Akhilesh for him remains difficult, the party general secretary said, "It is possible to meet (Congress Vice President) Rahul Gandhi, but meeting Akhilesh is difficult."
Continuing his attack on Ram Gopal, Singh said statements like "Amar SIngh has saved Mulayam from CBI and courts are baseless. At least spare your elder cousin Mulayam."
Singh, who returned to SP fold after being sacked six years ago, is being blamed by Akhilesh for triggering the crisis in the Yadav clan. Akhilesh also believes that Amar Singh was behind his removal as SP's UP unit chief. Shivpal was appointed in his place ahead of the assembly polls in the state dues early next year.
