Lucknow: Samajwadi patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav on Thursday removed his cousin Ram Gopal Yadav from the post of secretary of Lohia Trust, further widening the wedge in the party and family. He appointed his brother Shivpal Singh Yadav as the new trust secretary.

Talking to reporters, Mr Shivpal said that Mr Mulayam would hold a press conference on September 25 in which he would reveal his future plans. “We all stand with Netaji (Mulayam) in whatever decision he takes,” he said.

Last month, Mr Mulayam had removed four Akhilesh loyalists, Ram Govind Chaudhary, Ahmad Hasan, Usha Verma and Alok Shakya, as members and four Shivpal loyalists Deepak Mishra, Ram Sewak Yadav, Ram Naresh Yadav and Rajesh Yadav were inducted into the party fold.

Replying to a question, he said that despite being an SP legislator, he had not been invited to the national convention of the party. He said that Mr Mulayam had decided in the meeting that the ideology of Ram Manohar Lohia would be popularised across the country.

SP president Akhilesh Yadav and Mr Ram Gopal did not attend the meeting even though they are members of the trust. Both had been invited to the meeting.

Mohd. Azam Khan, another senior member of the trust, was also conspicuous by his absence. Mr Khan, in any case, has been maintaining a safe distance from both the warring factions of the Yadav clan.