Amar Singh must quit

The Samajwadi Party (SP) on Thursday mounted pressure on the former general secretary, Amar Singh, to resign his Rajya Sabha seat. He was re-elected to the Rajya Sabha on the SP ticket in November 2008.Speaking to journalists, the new party spokesman, Mohan Singh, said that Mr. Amar Singh, who has resigned from key party posts, must give up his Rajya Sabha seat on moral grounds. “If not, then the party will find a way out [for him to do so].”

When informed that he had reportedly refused to do so, Mr. Mohan Singh retorted, “There is a limit to being shameless. He has been teaching everybody a lesson on morality but after his refusal to quit it has now become clear who is moral and who is not. His political aim is to remain in some post through some party. Politics is not his real motive.”

Mr. Mohan Singh, who has replaced Mr. Amar Singh in all party posts, said the party wanted Mr. Amar Singh to resign. Asked if the party president Mulayam Singh too wanted it, he said, “the party wants it and Mr. Mulayam Singh is part of the party.”

(However, when The Hindu asked Mr. Mulayam Singh, who was in Delhi for Janeshwar Mishra’s condolence meeting, he declined to say anything on the subject.)

On the new office-bearers, Mr. Mohan Singh said, “The party is back to its socialist moorings and any distortions that had crept in would be rectified.”

Meanwhile on Thursday, the party announced the appointment of the former Minister, Rasheed Masood, as national vice-president. The former Minister, Ata-Ur-Rehman and the former MLA, Suneelam, were appointed as secretaries.