SP a divided house on support to UPA govt

Lucknow, Jul 8 (UNI) The Samajwadi Party, which holds the balance of power after the Left pulled the plug, is turning out to be a divided house on the issue of the nuclear deal despite the party leadership announcing its support for the 50-month-old UPA government.

More than a dozen SP MPs appear set to create problems for party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav even as two MPs have openly revolted against the party's decision to support the UPA government on the nuclear deal issue.

Though these MPs have not said a word about BSP chief Mayawati, the statement read by the rebels seems to be ''influenced'' by the Bahujan Samaj Party(BSP) government.

Four-time MP Jaiparaksh today came out openly against the SP leadership and announced to wage a ''democratic'' protest within the party.

''There are at least 12 MPs of the party who are protesting against the nuclear deal,'' the rebel MP said, claiming that some SP MPs who attended today's Parliamentary Board meeting also opposed the party's decision to support the Congress.

He said the SP leadership comprising mainly of party president Mulayam Singh Yadav had not taken the party into confidence on the issue.

Mr Jaiprakash, MP from Mohanlalganj, was the second SP MP to revolt against the party's decision to support the Congress-led UPA government.

Earlier, on July 3 last, party MP from Muzaffarnagar Munnawar Hasan had opposed Mr Mulayan Singh Yadav's support support for the Nuclear deal, terming it ''anti-Muslim''.

The rebel SP MP said support to the UPA was totally ''uncalled for''as the Central government had failed on all counts specially on the inflation front. ''Moreover, support for the Nuclear Deal with the United States is not in national interest and I think it is a secret pact between Amar Singh and the US,'' he alleged.

Giving reasons for boycotting the SP parliamentary board meeting, he said, ''The meeting was an eyewash and had no meaning since the decision had already been taken.'' At least nine Lok Sabha SP members did not attend the crucial meeting of the parliamentary board to discuss the party's support to the UPA government. While Atiq Ahmed and Afzal Ansari are in jail, Reoti Raman Singh and Mohan Singh did not attend due to illness.

Four rebel MPs, cine star Raj Babbar, Beni Prasad Verma, Munnawar Hassan and Jaiprakash, skipped the meeting due to their opposition to the deal and the party leadership. SP MP from Hamirpur Rajnarain Godalia did not also attend the meeting, citing personal reasons.

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