Samajwadi Party MP Jaya Prada on Sunday came out in defence of her mentor Amar Singh and appealed to the the party leadership to prevent him from being "maligned" by his opponents.
"Despite his poor health, Amar Singh has worked selflessly for the party and even campaigned for SP candidates during UP assembly elections and last year's Lok Sabha polls," said the MP from Rampur, who was backed by Singh after former SP leader Azam Khan strongly opposed her candidature from the seat during the general elections last year.
"Who has given Mohan Singh (newly-elected SP spokesman and General Secretary) the right to seek his resignation? How can the statements he has been making against Amar Singh be described as the party's viewpoint?" the film actress-turned- politician asked while talking to reporters in New Delhi.
She said Mohan Singh had lost last year's general elections and ever since he became the party's General Secretary last week, he has been attacking Amar Singh. Mohan Singh had last week asked Amar Singh to resign as Rajya Sabha MP on moral grounds.
Jaya Prada said if Mohan Singh continues to attack Amar Singh, "then this will not be tolerated... How can a spokesman use his post to say such things about a senior leader".
"I respect party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav. He is like a father figure to all of us in SP and, though, I am too small a leader to speak to him directly on this matter, I urge him to intervene and stop such attacks on Amar Singh within the party," she said. PTI
