Kanpur businessman, who had filed a case of money laundering against the expelled Samajwadi Party general secretary, dares him to an electoral battle

In the concluding episode of Samajwadi Party's Amar Chitra Katha that was played out on Tuesday, the

Throwing the gauntlet: Kanpur businessman, Shivkant Tripathi (above), who has blamed Amar Singh for trying to kill him, dared the former SP leader to an electoral battle

Thakur's hands were finally chopped off.

Though political adversaries of the expelled Samajwadi Party general secretary Amar Singh kept mum over the 'gestures' he had been making since he parted ways with mentor Mulayam Singh Yadav, ghosts from his past became vocal.

Shivkant Tripathi, a Kanpur-based businessman who had levelled serious charges of money laundering against Amar Singh, has dared Singh to give up his Rajya Sabha membership and fight a Lok Sabha election to prove his "real worth" as a politician and a leader.

In a letter to Singh, Tripathi said: "It has come to my notice through the media that you have been projecting yourself as a people's politician and a leader with a mass base. Also you have asked your supporters to resign and to contest elections against Samajwadi Party candidates. I dare you to win more than 5,000 votes from any Lok Sabha constituency in the country."

Tripathi also challenged Singh to an electoral battle from any Parliamentary constituency and claimed that, even if he didn't win, he would garner more votes than Singh.
The Kanpur-based social worker had alleged that the former Samajwadi Party honcho is trying to get him killed because he has filed a case of money laundering and fraud worth Rs 500 crore against him.

The 52-year-old businessman was reportedly shot at in the third week of January when he was travelling from Kanpur to Lucknow in his Innova car. "I have been receiving threat calls from Amar Singh's men to withdraw the case I filed against him in 2009.u00a0 The attack was also planned by him to eliminate me. He has been threatening me and my family to file an affidavit and withdraw the case," said Tripathi.

The case of money laundering that Tripathi had filed against Singh has Amitabh Bachchan and Singh's wife, Pankaja Kumari Singh, as co-accused.
The Economic Offence Wing of the Uttar Pradesh police is investigating the case. The next hearing in the case is on March 12.

What transpired through Tuesday

Less than a month after he resigned from all party posts and started attacking the party leadership, the SP Parliamentary Board, chaired by party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, met in Lucknow on Tuesday and decided to expel Amar Singh and Jaya Prada, actress-turned Lok Sabha MP. "Before the disease spreads further, the party decided to undertake a corrective surgery," party spokesman Mohan Singh announced in the noon in Lucknow. Four other MLAs have also been expelled. However, much to everybody's surprise, no action has been taken against Rajya Sabha MP, Jaya Bachchan, so far. Hours later in Delhi, a visibly upset Amar Singh held a press conference at his Lodhi Estate residence and termed the expulsions as "blessings in disguise". Singh ruled out quitting his Rajya Sabha seat. "There is no question of resigning. It is a parting gift to me from Mulayam Singh Yadav. He has gifted me the remaining tenure of the Rajya Sabha term before my expulsion," Singh said, pointing out that he did not get the membership of the Upper House as alms.u00a0u00a0 "I have had no discussion with anybody or any party, be it the BSP, the Congress or the NCP or others. I had only emphathised with Mayawati (during a TV interview). She had a bitter experience with SP.u00a0 Since I am also in a similar position now, I can understand her pain. She had also been a victim of the SP," he said. Talking about his political future, Singh said: "I have formed Lok Manch (a non-political forum) and will work for the poor and unemployed by raising awareness about computers and English language," said Singh. Read More Read Next Story MBA kidnapper had victims' bank details› Trending Stories Latest Photos Latest Videos Latest Web Stories ADVERTISEMENT Mid-Day Fast ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT