Mulayam Singh’s change of heart on Ram Gopal signals a blow for Shivpal Yadav, who had put out the press statement announcing the sacking. Yesterday, it was also clear that Mulayam Singh had not informed parliament about his cousin’s exit.
Ram Gopal yesterday represented the Samajwadi Party in a debate in the Rajya Sabha on the government’s sudden ban on Rs. 500 and Rs. 1,000 notes last week, and the impact on people who have been forced to wait for hours at ATMs and banks for cash.
Suggesting that the government send its ministers to a village, he said: “The women, they will hit you on the head with a rolling pin.” He also referenced chief Mulayam Singh more than once.
After his expulsion, Ram Gopal had said bitterly that “Mulayam Singh Yadav seems to be jealous of his son’s success.”
A former professor of Political Science, Ram Gopal is close to nephew Akhilesh Yadav. He has repeatedly sided with the 43-year-old Chief Minister and said he changed the narrative of the Samajwadi Party, which has often been associated with “goonda raj” or hooliganism.
(Sourced from agencies, feature image courtesy:oneindia.com)
