Need to unitedly think about country's problems: Mulayam

Amid the talk of a Bihar-like grand alliance in Uttar Pradesh, Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, who today shared dais with Janata parivar leaders at an event marking the party's silver jubilee, said he had invited all to "sit together" and think about the problems prevailing in the country.

"Today is the foundation day of the party. I have not invited all of them (Janata Parivar leaders) without any reason. We have to think about the entire nation and the problems people are facing. We will unitedly think about it...," he said in his address.

Six offshoots of 'Janata Parivar' had merged together last year ahead of the Assembly elections in Bihar to form a new party to take on a resurgent BJP. The merger took place almost two decades after the then Janata Dal disintegrated in the 90s.

The country is dealing with problems on the border.

Soldiers are laying down their lives to save the country. This is the time for struggle, he said, adding, "One cannot get power for free. For this, he has to struggle." 

Mulayam claimed that the Muslim community was "facing most atrocities in the country".

"We have to see if atrocities are inflicted on Muslims under the SP rule. This should not happen in our government.

Muslims want an SP government in the state again...," he said and asked Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav to look into problems of the community.

Mulayam claimed that 21 crore people do not get a proper meal in India and asked SP workers to observe the party's foundation day as "Sankalp Diwas" with an aim to eradicate poverty.

He also said the party cannot include all in the state and national executives.

"Everyone wants to become a member of the party executives. This is a challenge...The national executive should not be big," he said.