Varanasi, Jul 29 (IANS): In a surprising political development, Samajwadi Party (SP) President Akhilesh Yadav has come out to support Congress Interim President Sonia Gandhi.

Akhilesh, while talking to reporters on Thursday evening, said that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) summoning Sonia Gandhi was "an attempt by the Bharatiya Janata Party government at the Centre to threaten the Opposition by putting pressure on it".

This is the first time that the SP President has openly spoken in support of Congress leaders.

He said, "No one would have imagined that the top Congress leader would be summoned by ED someday. Summoning her is a part of BJP's policy of "divide and rule" for which it is pressuring the Opposition leaders to create a rift."

He added that while "misuse of ED is not a new practice but the present government at the Centre is using it to the maximum. The act of dividing Opposition alliances by the BJP has been evident in Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh and it could now be seen in West Bengal".

Replying to a question on Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP) Chief Om Prakash Rajbhar, Akhilesh said: "Rajbhar seems to be possessed by the soul of another party. The SP had been forging alliances with many parties since the time of SP patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav but it never faced allegations that tickets were sold for contesting election. But, for the first time such allegations have been levelled on SP coalition by Rajbhar."

About his estranged uncle and Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party (Lohia) leader Shivpal Yadav, he added, "As uncle was not feeling honoured in SP, he was freed. He has his own party and he should try to strengthen it again as per the socialist ideology."

He also targeted the BJP government for bringing milk and its by-products under GST rates and said that now milk will be offered to Lord Shiva after paying tax on it.