New Delhi: Ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, former Samajwadi Party leader Swami Prasad Maurya on Thursday (February 22) launched his new party ‘Rashtriya Shoshit Samaaj Party’ at Talkatora Stadium in New Delhi days after quitting Akhilesh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party.
The launch of the Rashtriya Shoshit Samaaj Party (RSSP) occurred days after Maurya resigned from his MLC seat and ended his association with the Samajwadi Party.
Swami Prasad Maurya quits SP
Swami Prasad Maurya on Tuesday (Febrruary 20) resigned from the party's primary membership and the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council.
"I got an opportunity to work with you. But after our talks on February 12 and my resignation (as national general secretary) on February 13, no initiative of any talks with me was taken due to which I am resigning from the primary membership of the party," Maurya said in a letter to party chief Akhilesh Yadav.
He shared the letter on his social media handles. In a separate letter to the chairman of the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council, Maurya said, "I was elected as a Samajwadi Party member in the legislative council. As I have resigned from the primary membership of the party, I am also resigning as MLC (member of legislative council) on the basis of morality," he said.
Swami Prasad Maurya quits party post
Earlier on February 13, Maurya had tendered his resignation from the position of general secretary of the Samajwadi party, accusing the leadership of discriminating against him and not defending him over his controversial statements on the Ramcharitmanas and the Ayodhya temple consecration ceremony.
In his resignation letter, Maurya revealed that he had proposed the idea of a 'Rath Yatra' to Akhilesh Yadav, aimed at advocating for a caste-based census, protecting reservation, addressing unemployment issues, and safeguarding the Constitution. He emphasized that his intention was to bolster support for the party through such initiatives. He claimed Akhilesh had agreed to commence the yatra following the festival of Holi. However, despite the agreement, the 'Rath Yatra' initiative never materialised, he claimed.
Maurya further expressed that he had been working tirelessly to expand the party's support base in his own capacity. However, when efforts were made to re-engage individuals who had been swayed by the BJP, certain lower-ranking party members dismissed these efforts as merely 'Maurya's personal endeavours'. He also pointed out the discrepancy in how his statements as the party's national general secretary were treated as "personal opinions", whereas statements from other general secretaries were automatically attributed to the party. This inconsistency surprised him, Maurya added.
Maurya in controversy
It should be mentioned here that Maurya recently garnered attention for his contentious comments regarding 'Sanatan Dharma', Hindutva, and the construction of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya. His remarks about the Ramcharitmanas also sparked considerable controversy, drawing condemnation from various quarters, including within and outside the party. The Akhilesh Yadav-led party has subsequently distanced itself from Maurya's statements, asking him to refrain from making remarks that could potentially offend people's religious sentiments.
Maurya had joined the Samajwadi Party leaving the BJP ahead of the 2022 assembly polls, contesting the elections unsuccessfully from Fazilnagar. His daughter Sanghmitra is the BJP's Badaun MP.
Maurya, considered a prominent leader of the backward classes in the state, has been a five-time MLA. He has served as a minister in the Uttar Pradesh government, leader of the House and leader of opposition.
Having joined the BJP from the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), he served as labour minister in the Yogi Adityanath-led government between 2017 and 2022.
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