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Mulayam has betrayed Muslims: MP

Special Correspondent

Barq criticises his bonhomie with Kalyan Singh

“Muslims cannot forgive Kalyan for his role in masjid demolition”
“SP president has abandoned his secular credentials”

LUCKNOW: Samajwadi Party MP Shafiqur Rehman Barq on Thursday accused party president Mulayam Singh of betraying the trust of Muslims by aligning with the former BJP leader, Kalyan Singh.

Mr. Barq denied that his rebellion was a fallout of his not being renominated in Moradabad for the coming Lok Sabha elections.

Addressing a press conference here, Mr. Barq said he was one of the founding members of the Babri Masjid Action Committee and Muslims could not forgive Mr. Kalyan Singh for his role in the demolition of the mosque.

Mr. Barq alleged that the SP president had abandoned his secular credentials, pointing out that Muslims’ support was instrumental in making him a secular national hero. But now he let them down by going along with Mr. Kalyan Singh.

Mr. Barq said Muslim leaders in the SP had opposed Mr. Mulayam Singh’s alliance with the now-defunct Rashtriya Kranti Party of Mr. Kalyan Singh in 2003, adding he spewed venom on Muslims when he rejoined the BJP in 2005.

Denying that he would quit the SP, Mr. Barq said he would expose Mr. Mulayam Singh within the party. He claimed that Mohammad Azam Khan and other party MPs, Salim Sherwani and Shahid Akhlaque, were also opposed to the alliance with Mr. Kalyan Singh. They would spell out their position soon, Mr. Barq said.

Corrections and Clarifications

In a report "Mulayam has betrayed Muslims: MP" (February 6, 2009) the fifth paragraph was "Mr. Barq said Muslim leaders in the SP had opposed Mr. Mulayam Singh's alliance with the now-defunct Rashtriya Kranti Party of Mr. Kalyan Singh in 2003, adding he spewed venom on Muslims when he rejoined the BJP in 2005." Mr. Kalyan Singh rejoined the BJP in 2004 and subsequently contested and won the Lok Sabha elections from Bulandshahr the same year.

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