People's Democracy

SP Leaders Assure Surjeet Of

Commitment To Secularism

Harkishan Singh Surjeet, general secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has issued the following statement on April 25, 2004:

THE recent utterances by some leading NDA functionaries have created confusion with regard to the Samajwadi Party president and Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mulayam Singh Yadav. An impression is being sought to be created that the Samajwadi Party has softened its earlier commitment to defence of national unity and secularism.

In my recent meetings with Mulayam Singh Yadav and yesterday’s meeting with Samajwadi Party general secretary, Amar Singh, both the leaders have categorically assured that the Samajwadi Party continues to remain committed to the anti-communal plank and in defence of secularism. In their interaction with me, both the leaders sought to dispel fears on this count and termed the propaganda launched by George Fernandes and other NDA leaders as deliberate and mischievous.

We are confident that the Samajwadi Party and its leader Mulayam Singh will play a leading role in defeating the communal offensive.