Mulayam Singh Yadav: A quick look at his controversies that made headlines

New Delhi, Oct 10: Samajwadi Party supremo and three-time chief minister of Uttar Pradesh Mulayam Singh Yadav died on Monday at a hospital in Gurugram after prolonged illness.

''Mere adarniya pitaji aur sabke netaji nahi rahe - Akhilesh Yadav,'' the SP tweeted from its Twitter handle.

The 82-year-old former defence minister was admitted to a hospital since August and was shifted to the Intensive Care Unit of the Gurugram-based Medanta Hospital on October 2. President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi were among a host of leaders who condoled his passing away.

Born on November 22, 1939 into a farming family in Saifai near Etawah in Uttar Pradesh, Yadav spawned the state's most prominent political clan.

Yadv served as defence minister from 1996 1998, and chief minister thrice in 1989-91, 1993-95, and 2003-07. The SP supremo was elected an MLA 10 times and an MP, mostly from Mainpuri and Azamgarh, seven times. For decades, he enjoyed the stature of a national leader but Uttar Pradesh largely remained the "akhara" where Yadav played out his politics, beginning as a teenager who was influenced by socialist leader Lohia.

The political journey of the Mulayam Singh Yadav, popularly known as Netaji, was often mired in controversies. Here's a look at some of them.

The shooting incident of Ram Janmabhoomi in Ayodhya is a dark chapter for any Hindu. On October 30 in 1990, Mulayam Singh Yadav, as UP chief minister, gave an order to the police to open fire at karsevaks who had gathered and moving towards the Ram temple. The police first lathi-charged on the orders of the government and then later opened fire on the kar sevaks. Though the official report on the incident concluded that 16 people had been killed in the firing, however, the fact remained that the number was potentially far higher.

In 2019, Netaji sprang a surprise by praising Modi in Parliament, wishing that he would return as prime minister after the next election. This, when his party saw Modi's BJP as its main rival in UP. The remark baffled analysts.

The veteran leader was also known for his controversial remarks. The crime of rape became a capital offence in India following the 2012 Delhi gang rape incident.
Just as another comment, back in 2014 at a rally, triggered outrage when he spoke against the death sentence for rapists, saying "boys make mistakes". And then, there was his advocacy of the idea that India, Pakistan and Bangladesh should form a confederation.

In response to 2014 Badaun gang rape and Yadav's comments, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said "We say no to the dismissive, destructive attitude of, "'Boys will be boys'".

In another controversy, the veteran SP leader had said that it is necessary for India to support a sovereign and independent Tibet. He said that a past government had made a "big mistake" on the issue and noted that he had spoken against it at the time.

According to Yadav, Tibet was a traditional buffer between China and India and that India should support the Dalai Lama and Tibetan independence. He also claimed that China had secreted nuclear weapons in Pakistan, he cautioned that "China is our enemy, not Pakistan. Pakistan can do us no damage".

The SP leader was involved in another controversy after young Akhilesh Yadav became the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh in 2012. Akhilesh surpassed Mulayam's brother Shivpal Singh Yadav and the Yadav family was divided into two feuding groups.

Akhilesh Yadav clad enjoyed the support of his father's cousin and National General Secretary Ram Gopal Yadav. The rival group was led by Mulayam Singh and supported by his brother and State Chief of Party, Shivpal Yadav, and a friend, former MP Amar Singh.

According to reports, Akhilesh had fired his uncle from his cabinet as it was seen by many as a direct challenge to his father.

On December 30, 2016, Mulayam Yadav expelled his son Akhilesh and his cousin Ram Gopal from the party for six years.

Akhilesh, in response, stripped his father off the party presidency and instead named him the chief patron of the party following the national convention of the party on January 1, 2017.

Mulayam termed the national convention as illegal and directly expelled his cousin, Ram Gopal Yadav, who had convened the national executive convention. But the Election commission of India ruled that Ram Gopal Yadav had the right to convene that executive convention, and reversed Mulayam's order. Hence Akhilesh Yadav officially became the new national leader of the party.