Samajwadi Party President Mulayam Singh Yadav on Monday called his brother and state party chief Shivpal Yadav a "leader of the masses" and said he would never forget the work he had done for him and the party. In an apparent reference to his son and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, he said, "Drunkards and goons have been added to the party. You get some power, and it goes to your head. If you cannot face criticism, you cannot be a leader."

The party president further said that he was saddened by the rift in his family. "Instead of fighting our weaknesses, we are fighting among ourselves," he said, adding that he would withdraw support from Shivpal or the party's general secretary, Amar Singh.

Mulayam Singh's remarks came while Akhilesh denied rumours that he would leave the Samajwadi Party and form a new outfit for the upcoming state Assembly elections. Akhilesh Yadav further said that he would have resigned had his father asked him to do so, ANI reported. He added that he was "hurt" after Amar Singh said he would not retain his seat as the chief minister by November. He asserted that he would personally investigate any conspiracies against Mulayam Singh.

The chief minister was speaking at a meeting of top party leaders on Monday, which was also attended by Shivpal Yadav. At the meeting, his uncle (Shivpal Yadav) said Akhilesh had told him he would form another party.

"We cannot tolerate liars in the Samajwadi Party," Shivpal Yadav said. "People who work to weaken the party...should know that we will form government again with Netaji's [Mulayam Singh] sweat and blood." Shivpal Yadav added that all efforts need to be put into winning the 2017 Uttar Pradesh elections and also pushed for Mulayam Singh to take over as the chief minister, according to The Times of India.

Separately, supporters of both Akhilesh and Shivpal Yadav clashed outside the party office where the meeting was held.

The feud

On Sunday, Akhilesh Yadav had sacked four ministers, including Shivpal Yadav and senior leader OP Singh, from the state Cabinet. This was the second time the chief minister had sacked his uncle from the state Cabinet. Hours after Akhilesh's move, Mulayam Singh dismissed Rajya Sabha MP Ramgopal Yadav, who supports Akhilesh, from the party for six years.

Rumours are rife that the infighting within the Samajwadi Party in the run-up to 2017 Assembly elections has led to the chief minister's supporters functioning independently from a separate office in Lucknow. The alleged family feud was triggered by party president Mulayam Singh appointing Shivpal as the state party chief. The move, which was reportedly implemented because of fears of an anti-incumbency vote, did not go down well with Akhilesh, who then relieved his uncle of major portfolios in the Cabinet. Mulayam Singh Yadav had to intervene to bring the situation under control.