Swami Prasad Maurya lashes out at Akhilesh, may form his own party

Lucknow: Senior Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Swami Prasad Maurya has lashed out at SP president Akhilesh Yadav, saying he will return whatever the latter had given him.

Amid speculation about the formation of a new party, Maurya, who has resigned from the post of General Secretary of the Samajwadi Party (SP), said that the "SP government, neither in the Centre nor in the state, is in no position to give anything to anyone".

He was referring to Akhilesh Yadav's statement earlier in the day in which the latter said: "People come for benefits and then go away. How does one know what is going on in their minds?"

Maurya said: "I respect whatever they have given, and I will return it with respect. The position does not matter to me, congratulations to Akhilesh Yadav for what he said."

He further said that SP does not have the capacity to give him anything and whatever they have given, he will return it with respect. Maurya said that for him, it is not the position but thoughts that matter.

Meanwhile, sources said that Swami Prasad Maurya will soon launch his own party on February 22 at the Talkatora stadium in Delhi.

A few Samajwadi Party leaders are likely to go with Maurya.