Belly dance was part of cultural show: Mulayam’s supporters

LUCKNOW - Even as Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav was criticised for watching an apparently “obscene” Ukranian belly dance during a function sponsored by his family in Uttar Pradesh’ Etawah district, his supporters claimed music and dance were part of the annual celebrations.

The cultural function was held Sunday evening at his native village Saifai, about 250 km from here.

While Mulayam and his close family members preferred to maintain a studied silence on the issue, a close party confidante Subhash Tripathi told IANS over telephone from Etawah: “Apparently, the media has made too much out of the dance and music programme during the Saifai mahotsava.”

“There was nothing obscene about the performance by a Ukranian troupe; it was a traditional dance of a particular country,” he said.

“Such dances were not new at the Saifai mahostava. The only difference was that in the past such performances were done by artists from Mumbai and this time the organisers invited a foreign troupe as well.”

Mulayam Singh’s nephew and local MP Dharmendra Yadav, who was the key organiser of the event, declined to speak on the issue. He however disclosed that a colourful Bollywood night was underway Wednesday evening.

“Leading Bollywood performers Sonu Nigam, Urmila Matondkar, Amisha Patel, Minissha Lamba and Rakhi Sawant are putting up a show tonight (Wednesday),” he said.