Lucknow, Feb 13 (IANS): Senior Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Swami Prasad Maurya resigned from the post of General Secretary of the party on Tuesday.

In a letter to SP President Akhilesh Yadav, Maurya has accused the party of discrimination.

Maurya wrote, “If there is discrimination even in the post of national General Secretary, there is no justification for continuing in such a discriminatory and unimportant post.”

Maurya added, “Ever since I joined the Samajwadi Party, I have continuously tried to increase its support base. On the day of joining the SP, I had given the slogan '85 versus 15'. (B.R.) Ambedkar talked about 'Bahujan Hitay Bahujan Sukhay', while Ram Manohar Lohia said 'Socialists Bandhi Gant, Pichda Paavai Sau Mein Saath'."

He alleged that the party continuously neutralised these slogans and filed the nominations and symbols of hundreds of candidates in the 2022 Assembly elections.

“There were only 45 MLAs, whereas after the 2022 Assembly elections, this number increased to 110. Thereafter, without any demand, you sent me to the Legislative Council and immediately after this you made me the national General Secretary. Thank you very much for this honour,” he said.

Maurya added that he had suggested last year that caste-based census should be conducted, and reservation of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Backward Classes should be saved.

“There was a proposal to carry out a Rath Yatra for a state-wide programme to protest against the sale of national assets to private hands, to which you agreed. There was no positive result either. As per the intention of the leadership, I did not consider it appropriate to say it again,” he wrote.

Maurya also expressed his unhappiness at being targeted by a section of SP leaders over his statements on Sanatan Dharma, which also made him the target of a section of the society.

However, in his resignation letter to Akhilesh Yadav, Maurya also said that he will continue to work to strengthen the party without any post.

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