Uttar Pradesh minister Shivpal Yadav on Monday sacked seven youth leaders of the Samajwadi Party who had headed protests against his appointment as the chief of the party's state unit, reported The Indian Express. The leaders were expelled for allegedly making derogatory statements against party president Mulayam Singh Yadav, indulging in "anti-party activities" and "indiscipline".

The group had carried out the demonstrations outside Mulayam Singh Yadav’s house and the party's headquarters on Saturday demanding Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav be re-appointed to the post .

Those suspended include three members of the UP Legislative Council —Sunil Singh Yadav, Anand Bhadauriya, Sanjay Lathar – besides Mohd Ebad (state president of Mulayam Singh Yadav Youth Brigade), Brijesh Yadav (state president of Samajwadi Party Yuvjan Sabha), Digvijay Singh (state president of Samajwadi Chhatra Sabha) and Gaurav Dubey (national president of Mulayam Singh Yadav Youth Brigade).

On Sunday, Mulayam Singh Yadav had asked for the names of the leaders who carried out protests outside his home. On the same day, Shivpal Yadav sacked Arvind Pratap Yadav, who had backed Akhilesh Yadav in the row that broke out among the Yadavs after the chief minister was replaced by Shivpal Yadav as the state unit chief on Mulayam Singh Yadav's orders. Arvind Pratap Yadav is the nephew of party national general secretary Ram Gopal Yadav, who was also suspended from the party on the same day.

Akhilesh Yadav had taken away Shivpal Yadav’s cabinet portfolios last week after he was replaced as the party’s state chief. Shivpal Yadav then resigned from the party and state government, but was given back his portfolios after Mulayam Singh Yadav intervened. Mulayam Singh Yadav had refused to accept his brother Shivpal’s resignation.