The situation in the Samajwadi Party is fluid, to put it mildly, as the 2017 Uttar Pradesh assembly elections approach. After the expulsion drama, UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav was recently declared national president of the party by supporters even as his father Mulayam Singh Yadav and uncle and current party national president Shivpal Yadav were absent.
But the whole sequence of events has not been without its own over the top moments.
For instance, this one of Shivpal Yadav bemoaning broken promises in a song, accompanied enthusiastically by journalists. He crooned the opening bars of the Kasme Wade Pyar Wafa, the classic Manna Dey song, at a dinner he hosted. The song is from Manoj Kumar’s 1967 film Upkar, which is about selfish brothers and greedy uncles wanting a share of the ancestral property.
“Promises and love are only words, And what are words?” Yadav sang. “No one belongs to anyone, these relations are false, never mind words?” When dialogue fails, can lyrics deliver the message?
Limited-time offer: Big stories, small price. Keep independent media alive. Become a Scroll member today!
Our journalism is for everyone. But you can get special privileges by buying an annual Scroll Membership. Sign up today!