Mulayam Singh Yadav has invited Uttar Pradesh BJP president Swatantra Dev Singh to join the Samajwadi Party, according to a tweet by Manish Jagan Agrawal, digital media coordinator of the SP.

Agrawal’s tweet was re-tweeted by Samajwadi chief Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday.

Singh had met the Samajwadi patron at his residence in Lucknow on Monday and then tweeted in Hindi with a picture holding the left hand of Mulayam: “I met respected Mulayam Singh Yadav ji ‘Netaji’ at his residence to know his well-being and take his blessings. I wish for his good health and long life.”

Initially, observers had considered it as a courtesy call as Mulayam enjoys good relations with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Mulayam had blessed Modi to become Prime Minister again in 2019.

Although Akhilesh had lost the Assembly elections in 2017, both he and his father Mulayam were present on the dais with Modi and Yogi Adityanath at the latter’s oath-taking ceremony on March 19 (2017).

Agrawal tweeted on Monday night: “The BJP’s state president Swatantra Dev Singh met respected Netaji today. Netaji has offered Swatantra Dev Singh to join the Samajwadi Party. Swatantra Dev Singh is unhappy as the BJP is neglecting the backward castes and Dalits. May be that Swatantra Dev Singh dubs it a courtesy call but there is something in it.”

However, Singh ridiculed Akhilesh for the tweet and said that the SP boss was desperately trying every trick for power. “Mulayam is a senior leader of the state and I met him because he is unwell,” Singh said.

A Samajwadi source said: “Singh had invited Mulayam to attend the last rites of former chief minister Kalyan Singh and the SP patron had informed the BJP state president that he was unwell and wouldn’t be able to be present. In fact this decision was taken by Akhilesh that the SP would stay away from Kalyan’s last rites. We want to send a clear message among the minority community that we don’t admire Kalyan, during whose tenure as chief minister, Babri Masjid was demolished in Ayodhya in 1992.”

Kalyan and other BJP leaders had claimed that Babri Masjid was built by Mughal emperor Babar in the 16th century after razing a Ram temple. A Ram temple is under construction at the same site on the order of the Supreme Court.

BJP leaders had dubbed Kalyan as the “hero of Ram temple” after his death last week.

Reacting on the tweets, senior Congress leader Dwijendra Tripathi said: “Mulayam as chief minister had ordered the police to open fire on kar sevaks of the BJP-Vishwa Hindu Parishad. Singh and all other BJP leaders call Mulayam a killer of kar sevaks. And now Singh meets Mulayam to know his well-being. How long will they cheat the voters by dividing them as Hindus and Muslims?”

Making fun of the entire incident, an user Ranjan Kumar Singh tweeted with some pictures of Adityanath with Mulayam and Akhilesh: “Yogiji is unhappy with the BJP. May be he would join the SP tomorrow or day after.”