Former Samajwadi Party leader Swami Prasad Maurya is scheduled to launch his own political outfit, the Rashtriya Shoshit Samaj Party, on February 22 at New Delhi's Talkatora Stadium, sources said.
This came after Swami Prasad Maurya stepped down as national general secretary of the Samajwadi Party on February 13. In his resignation letter to Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, Mr Maurya had said that he would keep working to fortify the party even in the absence of a position.
Hitting out at Mr Yadav's "benefit" remark, Mr Maurya said on Monday, "He is not in power in the state or the centre. He is not in a condition to give anything. And I will return everything he has given to me till now. Ideology is important to me, not the position. The rights and welfare of all sections are my priority, whenever that would be attacked I would raise my voice."
When asked about the speculation of forming a new party, Swami Prasad Maurya said, "I have left everything up to the party workers. Whatever they want would be acceptable to me."
The rift between Akhilesh Yadav and Swami Prasad Maurya widened when the Samajwadi Party Chief said that he (Swami Prasad Maurya) had come to SP for benefits.
"Everyone comes to take benefits, but who stays on the spot? Who will tell what is in someone's mind? Not only this, Akhilesh Yadav said that is there no such machine that can know what is going on in someone's mind. Everyone leaves after taking the benefits." Mr Yadav has said.
Samajwadi Party national general secretary Swami Prasad Maurya joined the Akhilesh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party in January 2022, leaving the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ahead of that year's assembly elections. He has been repeatedly making headlines for his provocative comments on sensitive issues including Ramcharitmanas, Sanatana Dharma and Hinduism.
Mr Maurya had kicked up a controversy when he cited text from Ramcharitmanas to describe it as derogatory to women, Dalits and tribals. His comments on Sanatana Dharma had also kicked up a row.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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