Lucknow: The feud in the Samajwadi Party showed no signs of ending, with its State unit chief Shivpal Yadav on Wednesday expelling from the party for six years minister Tej Narain Pandey alias Pawan Pandey, who is considered close to Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav.
Mr. Pandey had clashed with party MLC Ashu Malik at the party meet on Monday.
“Pawan Pandey is being expelled from the Samajwadi Party for six years on charges of indiscipline,” Mr. Shivpal Yadav announced at a press conference at the party headquarters here.
Mr. Shivpal Yadav said he had written a letter to the Chief Minister requesting him to sack Mr. Pandey from the Ministry. He maintained that there was no dispute in the party and the Mulayam Singh Yadav family.
Mr. Pandey had alleged that he was beaten up by Mr. Malik, who also alleged that he was slapped by the former at the Chief Minister’s residence.
“Chief minister Akhilesh Yadav had called me to clarify things related to a news article published in an English daily wherein he was referred to as Aurangzeb and SP chief Mulayam Singh as Shahjahan,” Mr. Malik told reporters after the incident.
“When I was at the CM’s residence, Mr. Pandey came and attacked me. He slapped me twice,” he said.
“I was asked to show up, as the Chief Minister wanted to clarify things related to the news article in front of people but my presence was misunderstood by others,” he said.
Mr. Akhilesh Yadav was not present at his residence when the incident took place, he said.
Mr. Malik had lodged a written complaint against Mr. Pandey accusing him of attacking him, but no FIR has been registered in the matter so far.
Mr. Shivpal Yadav’s expulsion of Mr. Pandey comes a day after Mr. Mulayam Singh Yadav sought to project an ‘all is well’ image. The “party and family are united”, he had said.
Bureau Report
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