Rampur, a west UP town, on Friday witnessed a political circus, with Mulayam Singh Yadav, a self-declared socialist, riding a Victorian buggy (horse-driven carriage) imported from London for his 76th birthday on Saturday.
His lieutenant, minister Azam Khan, who is organising the two-day gala, made adequate value addition to the event in his patent style, saying: "Funds for this celebration have come from Taliban and Dawood Ibrahim." He was apparently peeved at reporters' questioning the source of the money being spent on the spectacle.
Leaders of BSP, BJP and Congress have rapped Mulayam for participating in the "vulgar display of money power" and for "squandering" crores to celebrate his birthday, named 'samta diwas'.
The rather indiscreet show translated into a painful experience for Rampur residents as traffic went haywire during the three hours that Mulayam, his son CM Akhilesh, brother Shivpal and Azam took the 11-km buggy ride to Maulana Ali Zuhar University of which Azam Khan is life-long chancellor.
Schools along this route have been shut for two days, and children were commandeered to sing and dance to entertain the Yadav clan. Commuters and truckers on NH 24, which connects to Delhi, were stuck on both sides as movement through Rampur has been curtailed. Four aircraft will bring in VIP guests, and almost all three and five star hotels even in Bareilly and Moradabad have been booked for 'samajwadis'.
Sources said the cost of 'pandal' itself was at least Rs 2 crore. Punjabi folk singer Hans Raj Hans has been paid Rs 12 lakh for the birthday eve performance. A 75-feet, 400-kg cake is to be cut. Thousands of quintals of flowers and petals were showered on the Yadavs along the way, as about 2,000 policemen manned the crowd.
"Is this what Mulayam has learnt from Lohia and Jai Prakash Narayan?" asked UP BJP chief Laxmikant Bajpeyi. "On this occasion, he should spare at least 75 minutes to think about UP and what his government is doing to it."
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}