Tensions re-emerged within the Samajwadi Party as patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav on Saturday once again accused his son and former UP CM Akhilesh Yadav of being disloyal to him. Mulayam also alleged that Akhilesh had staged a coup d'etat against him and snatched away his post as the party's national president.

"Power had gone to my son's head. He not only sacked his uncle from the Cabinet but also removed me from the party's highest post," rued Mulayam.

At a function to inaugurate a hotel belonging to a party leader, the SP patriarch said that he endorsed a remark made by Prime Minister Modi about Akhilesh. The PM, while campaigning in Kannauj — the parliamentary constituency of Akhilesh's wife Dimple Yadav — has said at the time, "He (Akhilesh) who cannot be loyal to his father, can't be trusted at all." Mulayam said that today he agreed with the PM's remarks about his son.

"If he cannot be loyal to his father, how can he be trusted by others and people of the state," said Mulayam. "I had warned him (Akhilesh) that Ram Gopal would ruin his political career but he didn't listen. I was right in my forecast. Now the results are a slap on his face," he added.

Reacting to the Supreme Court's suggestion that both parties — the Mulayam and Akhilesh factions had earlier fought to own the party's cycle symbol before the state polls — for an out of court settlement, Mulayam said that the case is pending before the apex court and it should hear the case at the earliest to pronounce its verdict.

"Both parties cannot settle the issue through talks. The dispute will end only after Supreme Court judgement as both parties will have to abide by it," he said.

The family feud in the country's biggest political family has been on for the last six months but it was the first time that a visibly upset father had launched such a scathing public attack against his son. Analysts say that this may trigger a second round of family war between Akhilesh and the Mulayam-Shivpal faction who had earlier closed ranks in view of impending assembly elections.

On January 1 this year — supported by his uncle Prof Ram Gopal Yadav — Akhilesh took over the party's command and removed his father from the highest post to become the Samajwadi Party national president. The Election Commission's verdict in favour of Akhilesh-Ram Gopal Yadav faction to retain the party's cycle symbol also gave a shot in the arm to the former UP CM who then went ahead with an alliance with the Congress despite Mulayam's strong reservations.

Post the poll results, the Yadavs have been busy trying to mend fences. Significantly, both Mulayam and Akhilesh participated in Yogi Adityanath's swearing-in ceremony and both spoke to PM Narendra Modi at the event.

Mulayam's second son Prateek Yadav and daughter-in-law Aparna Yadav have already met the new UP Chief Minister twice. On Thursday, Yogi Adityanath went to Prateek and Aparna's Gaushala Kanha Upvan and lauded their efforts to save cows and other animals. The meeting of his second son and daughter-in-law has given rise to speculation that Mulayam may finally allow Prateek to join politics.

Though Mulayam had campaigned for Aparna in the polls she lost from Lucknow Cantonment seat to Rita Bahuguna Joshi, a Congress turncoat who had joined the BJP.