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Mulayam Singh Yadav's 80th birthday was celebrated on Thursday by the Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav.
In the presence of his son, grandchildren and senior party leaders Kiranmoy Nanda and Bhagwati Singh senior Yadav cut a cake at the party office.
Akhilesh Yadav shared the picture of celebration on his official Twitter account. He hailed his father as a leader who had shown his supporters and followers the path of truthfulness and non-violence.
Interestingly, junior Yadav in a coup of sorts dethroned his father as party chief in December 2016 after a bitter feud within the Yadav clan and party.
The party office at the Vikramaditya Marg in Lucknow was decked up with posters and hoardings carrying pictures of Mulayam and Akhilesh dotting the entire stretch.
Mulayam's younger brother Shivpal Singh Yadav also celebrated former's birthday.
At Saifai, their native village, he organised a grand 'dangal' (wrestling competition). His newly-launched party, the Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party (PSP), is also holding several events across the state to mark Mulayam's birthday.
The PSP has termed it as 'Secularism Day'.
The party, which Mulayam formed 25 years ago, has split between Akhilesh and Shivpal Singh Yadav, with the family patriarch vacillating between his son and younger brother in his support for them.
(With IANS inputs)
