Claiming that Congress was portraying Prime Minister Manmohan Singh as “weak”, Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav today said the PM “should have resigned” after the ordinance on convicted lawmakers was dismissed as “nonsense” by party Vice—president Rahul Gandhi.

“The Prime Minister is being made weak. And those in his own party are doing this... His party man who himself wants to become Prime Minister tears the ordinance (on convicted lawmakers). In such a situation, he (PM) should have resigned,” Yadav told a party rally here.

Slamming the Congress—led UPA government, he said, “There are bigger challenges before the country, but those running it are not accepting them. The leadership is coward.”

On India’s foreign policy, Mr. Yadav said it was unfortunate that none of the neighbouring countries “was a friend” of India. “China had betrayed first PM Jawaharlal Nehru, in whose regime the slogan, ‘Hindi—Chini bhai bhai’, was given,” Mr. Yadav said.

Yadav said the people of the country have lost their faith in both the Congress and the opposition BJP. “SP is being considered as an alternative as the party stands on its principles and fulfils promises it makes... We consider breaking promise as a corruption and people know it,” he said.

Claiming that the Third Front would get majority in the next Lok Sabha polls, Mr. Yadav said in West Bengal there would be no BJP or Congress and similar scenario would be witnessed in Odisha and Tamil Nadu. “UP will be the deciding state. You should decide whether you want to sent us strong or weak to Parliament,” the SP chief told party men.

In a bid to woo Muslims ahead of polls, Yadav said he was being criticised by the opposition for taking side with the community, but the reality was that “I tried to get justice for them“.

Defending his decision to order firing on ‘karsevaks’ in Ayodhya in 1990, Yadav said the order was given not only to prevent the demolition of Babri mosque but also to maintain the country’s unity.

He said the SP government in Uttar Pradesh had ensure participation of Muslims in state police force and at present there were Muslim personnel in every police station. PTI ABN SMN 11211653

The Samajwadi Party supremo welcomed the Uttar Pradesh government’s decision to provide Rs 5 lakh each to 1,800 riot—hit families of Muzaffarnagar and appealed to members of all communities to help address the problem.

On the non—implementation of the Centre’s Food Security Scheme in the state, Mr. Yadav blamed the central government and said, “How can we distribute food grains. The ration cards are made in 1997 and now its 2013.. On what basis food grains would be distributed. Why new ration cards are not being issued and who is responsible for that.”

On making son Akhilesh Chief Minister of the state, Mr. Yadav said in Assembly polls vote was sought in his name but his son was made the CM as if he had left Lok Sabha (to become CM), SP’s voice would have weakened at the national level.

Earlier addressing the rally, Mr. Akhilesh said, “Whenever there would be contest at the ground level, SP’s strength will increase. The real fight will be witnessed in LS polls.”

In an apparent dig at BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi, Akhilesh said some leaders wanted to promote communalism in place of development and his government would stop those trying to break communal harmony of the country.

“UP has given a lot of Prime Ministers... His state (Gujarat) his given industrialists and businessmen... His only concern is profit and loss,” he said.