I requested UPA govt to exonerate Mulayam in DA case: Amar Singh

Expelled leader Amar Singh today hit back at Samajwadi Party saying that the only deal he tried to strike with UPA government in 2008 was for "exonerating" Mulayam Singh Yadav from the disproportionate assets case.

"I did not make any deal but only asked for one favour from the UPA government and that was exoneration of SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav from the disproportionate assets case," he told PTI in an interview.

His comments came hours after he and party MP Jaya Prada were shown the door by the SP in the wake of growing differences between Singh and Yadav.

Singh was asked to comment over the SP's charge that he used the party's support to the UPA-I government in the wake of the crisis over the Indo-US nuclear deal issue, to further his "own interests" and not that of the party. He said that even after his expulsion, he feels that Yadav has been "wrongly framed" in the DA case.

Asked if the government exonerated Yadav, he said the case is still in Supreme Court and the law will take own course. "You can say I am a bad deal-maker." At the same time, Singh admitted that he "bulldozed" the party in supporting the UPA-I after a strong defence of the deal by the former president APJ Abdul Kalam.

"This is correct that I was the driving force behind forging an alliance with both the UPA governments.