Neech row| Mani Shankar Aiyar should be expelled from Congress, says Mulayam Singh Yadav

Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar should be expelled from the party for his 'neech' remark against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Samajwadi Party patron Mulayam Singh Yadav said.

"The word 'neech' used for the prime minister by a Congress leader is certainly wrong...A person who has uttered such a statement should not just be suspended, but expelled from the party," Yadav told reporters here yesterday.

He said positive politics has virtually vanished, and "politics of mud-slinging" has become a common phenomena.

"There has been a paradigm shift in the country's politics. 'Sakaratmak rajniti' (positive politics) has virtually vanished, and politics of mud-slinging (keechad uchaalne ki rajniti) has become a common phenomena," Yadav said.

Aiyar was suspended from the Congress earlier this week after he called the prime minister a "neech kism ka aadmi" (vile sort of man).

"The prevailing circumstances in the country, and the way the government is functioning, there is a need for a big movement, and in coming time a movement will be launched," he said.

The former Uttar Pradesh chief minister said almost all sections of the society were worried.

"During our regime, we had given priority to roads, education, health, drinking water and electricity. This gave employment to youngsters, and also developed the state," he said.