Mumbai:
After Amar Singh and Jaya Prada were expelled by the Samajwadi Party, on Tuesday the focus has been on the political future of Jaya Bachchan, MP, party-leader and Amar Singh loyalist.
Speaking exclusively to NDTV's Barkha Dutt, Bachchan said "politics aside, keeping my relationship with Amar Singh as a family member aside, the relationship between Amar and Mulayam..if it's broken, I don't know...but I know they both had tremendous regard for each other. And if there is a crack, for me, that's really sad."
Bachchan says she won't quit the Samajwadi Party. "I have spoken with my family. I would like to continue in the Rajya Sabha. I have six months to go; have worked sincerely against the odds. I would like to gracefully complete my term. If the party wants me out, they will take that decision. If they want me to resign, I would expect and respect if Mulayam Singh asks me for my resignation."
When asked whether Amar Singh would be hurt by her decision to stay with the party for now, Bachchan said, "He's a family member, if he were hurt, he would tell me."
When asked what may have caused the Amar-Mulayam break-up, Bachchan said "I think this cannot be Mulayam Singh-ji's decision. I think he has been pressurised to take this decision. Mulayam has always been a very open leader. He has always allowed party members to speak. He has often gone by what majority of party has said. He has been very democratic."
On whether she was implying that it was Mulayam's son's decision to expel Amar Singh, Bachchan replied, "I really don't know. I am very surprised myself."
In the last few months, Bachchan said, "I think the kind of things that Amar Singh was talking about, they were not wrong. I have also been saying we have to modernize our way of thinking, our way of functioning. We have to teach our younger generation to be comfortable with technology. This is how he felt, and this is what he was trying to bring into the party."
Bachcan also said that Amar Singh's expulsion was unfair. "Amar Singh speaks his mind and he speaks the truth, without wanting to harm anybody or harm the party in any way. He has taken a lot of blame for the party in the past; for Kalyan Singh's coming into party, the blame was put on Amar - but it was the party's decision."
Speaking exclusively to NDTV's Barkha Dutt, Bachchan said "politics aside, keeping my relationship with Amar Singh as a family member aside, the relationship between Amar and Mulayam..if it's broken, I don't know...but I know they both had tremendous regard for each other. And if there is a crack, for me, that's really sad."
Bachchan says she won't quit the Samajwadi Party. "I have spoken with my family. I would like to continue in the Rajya Sabha. I have six months to go; have worked sincerely against the odds. I would like to gracefully complete my term. If the party wants me out, they will take that decision. If they want me to resign, I would expect and respect if Mulayam Singh asks me for my resignation."
When asked whether Amar Singh would be hurt by her decision to stay with the party for now, Bachchan said, "He's a family member, if he were hurt, he would tell me."
When asked what may have caused the Amar-Mulayam break-up, Bachchan said "I think this cannot be Mulayam Singh-ji's decision. I think he has been pressurised to take this decision. Mulayam has always been a very open leader. He has always allowed party members to speak. He has often gone by what majority of party has said. He has been very democratic."
On whether she was implying that it was Mulayam's son's decision to expel Amar Singh, Bachchan replied, "I really don't know. I am very surprised myself."
In the last few months, Bachchan said, "I think the kind of things that Amar Singh was talking about, they were not wrong. I have also been saying we have to modernize our way of thinking, our way of functioning. We have to teach our younger generation to be comfortable with technology. This is how he felt, and this is what he was trying to bring into the party."
Bachcan also said that Amar Singh's expulsion was unfair. "Amar Singh speaks his mind and he speaks the truth, without wanting to harm anybody or harm the party in any way. He has taken a lot of blame for the party in the past; for Kalyan Singh's coming into party, the blame was put on Amar - but it was the party's decision."
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