Tuesday, February 7 2006 13:19 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: The rumblings in the Samajwadi Party today (Feb 7,2006) refused to die down with a defiant party MP Raj Babbar ruling out his resignation and insisting on removal of party stalwart Amar Singh for promoting "broker culture" and 'maligning' the socialist moorings of the party.

He, however, spared party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav from criticism and targetted only Amar Singh.

"Amar Singh represents the broker culture. I definitely want the removal of this face from the legacy left behind by Choudhary Charan Singh and Ram Manohar Lohia and ably carried forward by Mulayam Singh Yadav," Babbar said in an interview to sources.

Babbar who has recently come under attack from party leaders for his carping criticism of Singh, dismissed demands from leaders including Ram Gopal Yadav for his resignation.

"Why should I resign?, he shot back.

"Nobody, except the people of Agra, have any right to ask me to resign the Lok Sabha Seat. Samajwadi Party leaders definitely have no right. But I would like to say very humbly that I am ready to face any candidate from any constituency in Uttar Pradesh or elsewhere other than the Chief Minister to show what I am", Babbar told sources.

Asked what he thought of Yadav promoting Amar Singh,Babbar skirted a directed answer but said "the Chief Minister has been surrounded by one controversy after another ever since his association with Amar Singh".

Babbar said Yadav was regarded as the 'sole leader' against fundamentalism and the minorities had 'full faith' in him to protect their rights.

But questions were now being raised about SP helping BJP and RSS weakening the party's secular credentials, he said.