Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav with the 75-foot-long cake.
Rampur, Uttar Pradesh:
The grand finale of Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav's pre-birthday celebrations culminated with fireworks in the sky, and the socialist leader cutting a 75-foot-long cake at midnight, in Uttar Pradesh's Rampur.
Before that, the crowds were regaled with a cultural programme and a spirited kathak performance on Rani Lakshmibai.
Popular sufi singer Hans Raj Hans crooned a special number for the party supremo and also belted out his popular Bollywood numbers.
The party has faced severe criticism from all quarters over the opulent celebrations in a backward state like UP.
But SP leaders remained unfazed; party leader Azam Khan defended the celebrations, asking if they could not celebrate even once in 75 years?
Mr Khan, in fact, courted controversy earlier today by saying sarcastically, "The Taliban has funded it," when asked who has paid for the extravagant birthday party.
The BJP has accused the Samajwadi Party of spending government money.
"Things which Mulayam Singh used to criticise himself, how is he accepting it now?" asked state BJP leader Vijay Bahadur Pathak, adding, "His birthday is being celebrated with government money. Water is not available in schools for children, but they cannot think of that."
Earlier, local students were made to line the streets to welcome the party chief as he rode past them in an imported vintage buggy.
At a time when UP, an already impoverished state, is facing an acute power crisis, farmer protests and rising crime, this extravaganza only underlines the disconnect between the state's ruling family and its people.
Before that, the crowds were regaled with a cultural programme and a spirited kathak performance on Rani Lakshmibai.
Popular sufi singer Hans Raj Hans crooned a special number for the party supremo and also belted out his popular Bollywood numbers.
The party has faced severe criticism from all quarters over the opulent celebrations in a backward state like UP.
But SP leaders remained unfazed; party leader Azam Khan defended the celebrations, asking if they could not celebrate even once in 75 years?
Mr Khan, in fact, courted controversy earlier today by saying sarcastically, "The Taliban has funded it," when asked who has paid for the extravagant birthday party.
The BJP has accused the Samajwadi Party of spending government money.
"Things which Mulayam Singh used to criticise himself, how is he accepting it now?" asked state BJP leader Vijay Bahadur Pathak, adding, "His birthday is being celebrated with government money. Water is not available in schools for children, but they cannot think of that."
Earlier, local students were made to line the streets to welcome the party chief as he rode past them in an imported vintage buggy.
At a time when UP, an already impoverished state, is facing an acute power crisis, farmer protests and rising crime, this extravaganza only underlines the disconnect between the state's ruling family and its people.
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