While several SP leaders were on warpath, senior party leader and Moradabad member of Parliament, Shafiqur Rehman Burke on Thursday went to the extent of labelling Mulayam as a "traitor."
While making it loud and clear that Muslims would never pardon party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav for his association with Kalyan Singh, who is widely perceived as the man who spearheaded the demolition of 16th century Babri mosque in Ayodhya in December 1992, while he was chief minister.
"Mulayam Singh Yadav has clearly betrayed Muslims by joining hands with the man , who had spearheaded the Mosque demolition mission," Burke told media persons in Lucknow on Thursday evening.
On a brief visit to the state capital, Burke also claimed that other prominent Muslim leaders in the Samajwadi Party including Budaun MP Saleem Sherwani and Rampur MLA Azam Khan, were also totally disillusioned with Mulayam on this account.
"Mulayam has apparently forgotten the contribution of Muslims in making what the Samajwadi Party is today", he remarked.
Commenting on the recent statements of the two leaders, he wondered, if Mulayam was also involved in the demolition of the mosque. "The way these two leaders were busy holding a brief for each other arouses suspicion whether they had struck a secret deal at the time of the demolition of the Babri Masjid also."
Asked if he was going to quit the Samajwadi Party, Burke said, "As of now, I have decided to contest as an independent from Moradabad itself and I can assure you that SP will have to pay for its current bonhomie with Kalyan Singh."
