Click to play videoNew Delhi: SP General Secretary Amar Singh says the UPA’s fourth-anniversary dinner at the PM residence is an “apolitical” event and nothing much should be read into it.
In an interview to CNN-IBN’s National Affairs Editor Bhupendra Chaubey, the SP leader said his party is yet to decide on tying up with the Congress.
“It would not be prudent to say that we are friends with the Congress (but) it will not be proper to say that we are enemies. The minimum political civility and the minimum required communication is about to begin but it must be clear that we are not going to abolish the United National Progressive Alliance,” he said
“We are not going to abandon our colleagues like Om Prakash Chautala or Chandrababu Naidu and above all our Left friends. Thursday’s dinner at the PM’s residence should be viewed as apolitical. Attending this dinner doesn’t mean we support inflation or the Indo-US nuclear deal.”
Singh’s statement is important, as till few months ago he was accusing the Congress of hounding him. The Samajwadi Party and the Congress have not exactly had good ties in the past. Just a few ago, Singh was accusing Sonia Gandhi of hounding him.
The Congress-SP rivalry predates last year's UP elections. The bitterness between them began in 1999, when the Congress claimed that it could form a minority government with the support of 272 MPs in the Lok Sabha. But it was let down by SP, which decided it would not support the Congress.
Sonia allegedly ignored Singh at a dinner she had hosted in July 2004 for leaders of political parties to discuss formation of the UPA Government. A miffed Singh had vowed to avenge the humiliation and ever since the SP and the Congress have been on bitter terms.
(For updates you can share with your friends, follow IBNLive on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and Pinterest)
 |
 |
 |
|
More on IBNLive Right Now
TOP NEWS
MOST SHARED
PHOTOGALLERY
