A day after it issued gag orders on its leaders — other than those authorised by party supremo Mulayam Singh — from speaking to the media, the Samajwadi Party (SP) on Saturday distanced itself from the former Rajya Sabha MP, Shahid Siddiqui, and said he was not a member of the party. Mr. Siddiqui, who edits the Urdu weekly Nai Duniya, recently interviewed Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi.
The interview was published in the latest edition of the weekly.
Considering that the Muslims supported the SP in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections and not wanting to alienate them as it prepares for the Lok Sabha elections, Mr. Modi’s interview by Mr. Siddiqui and his subsequent presence on TV channels irked the party leadership, SP sources said.
Party-hopper
A known party-hopper, Mr. Siddiqui returned to the Samajwadi fold in January 2012 after a stint in the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD). He had started his career with the Congress.
Announcing the decision, the national general secretary and national spokesperson of the SP Ram Gopal Yadav said Mr. Siddiqui was not a member of the party and the SP had nothing to do with him. “The Samajwadi Party wants to clarify that Shahid Siddiqui left the party long time ago and joined the BSP and then the RLD.” However, Mr. Siddiqui’s return to the SP this year was not mentioned by Prof. Yadav in the press release issued by him on Saturday. He added that, thus, it was not correct for the media to mention Mr. Siddiqui as a SP leader.
The countdown for his ouster began on Friday when in the gag order, Prof. Yadav said he noticed that some persons, who were not even members of the party, articulating their opinion on TV channels in the name of the party. He said the views expressed by them were their own and could not be considered as the party version. Only four leaders were authorised to speak to the media, namely, SP chief Mulayam Singh, Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, national general secretary Ram Gopal Yadav and State spokesperson Rajendra Chaudhary, Friday’s press release issued by Prof. Ram Gopal Yadav said.
SP sources said Mr. Siddiqui was lobbying for ticket to contest the 2014 Lok Sabha elections from Bijnor in Uttar Pradesh. He unsuccessfully contested the 2009 Lok Sabha polls from Bijnor on the BSP ticket before he was expelled from the party.
Keywords: SP, BSP, Shahid Siddiqui, Narendra Modi
As if they were better off without Mr Siddiqui? SP and BSP leaders are capable only of wasting public money in erecting, breaking, re-assembling/re-erecting their own statues. They epitomise the stone age humans. UP is crying over its fate re-written by the proponents of divide and rule policy - ably developed, nurtured and raised by Congress.
What a travesty? A newsman for an interview with a particular CM has
been disowned by the socalled secular and democratic parties ??
Timing of this interview is the essence itself.
1) The interview did not bring any thing new although it is almost ten
year old matter.
2) Interview seems to have raised same amount of muck even though
media seem to have completely sidelined the real and present human
tragedy that is unfolding now in Assam.
3) Now Assam Govt will be answerable to same questions being posed to
Narendra Modi.
4) May be big bonanza for media but lives are lost and property worth
crores destroyed and we learn nothing from past mistakes.
What a tragedy!!!!!!
And finally was interview was a smoke-screen to hide the real tragedy
that is now unfolding?????
Many of the policies followed by the Gujarat Govt. Have come into the notice of noy only
other states but also internationally and any such interviews utterly unrelated to
developments should not create any controversies so that they divert the attentions in a
negative way for the people of India and Nation as a whole.
This statement of Narendra Modi amply shows how confident he is
even today, that he has done nothing wrong in the riots. But to
record the interview itself of Modi has become a wrong in a
democracy and that too in Mulayam Singh's S P party which is to be
condemned by one and all.
Modi ji the raging tiger of Indian politics...who has such a voice..no chief minister had it earlier..which keep reverberating for US to Japan...
Chief Minister Modi was keen to have Justice Vora only as the lokayukta.
It is not that he is against Justice Mehta alone. He was also against
another name of Justice Dave. And it seems till Justice Vora could be
appointed, he did not want a lokayukta
at one side modi is claiming that he is a big supporter of Anna than why
is he not following the first vichar of anna.....do what you say and be
clean. If modi is not corrupted than why is he so scared of lokayukta
inquiry??
Even as the BJP stalled both houses of Parliament demanding recall of
Gujarat governor for appointing a lokayukta without “the aid and advice
of the chief minister and his council of ministers”, it is learnt the
appointment of lokayukta was delayed not because of the governor, chief
justice of high court or ‘non-cooperation’ of the leader of the
opposition, but because Chief Minister Narendra Modi wanted a particular
person appointed as the lokayukta.
Modi wrote to Mukhopadhya, expressing reservations about justice SD
Dave, whose name was suggested by the CJ on December 31, 2010. Modi
insisted the CJ suggest Justice Vora’s name instead.
Modi's refusal to apologies or express regret over the omissions rather than complicity in the riots, in spite of indictments by various investigation agencies would always remain as a thorn to deflate his inflated image. 'Hang me if found guilty' is a cliche of notorious villains in block-buster movies of Bollywood after destroying all evidence of their crime and not a statement of a political leader who aspires to occupy the highest seat of power. He is doomed to occupy the dustbin of history.
It is a total rubbish on two counts. Not many would have read this interview but for the media frenzy over it. Secondly, this issue had been rejected by the people of Gujarat by electing and reelecting Modi.
Siddiqui was appearing on NDTV, when the whole debate on Presidential support was raging in the country.
It also shows that there is no inner party democracy in most of the parties in the country. It is all a one man/woman show or family owned or stooges willing to thrive on dynastic rule.
it is surprising that your newspaper has not condemned this attitude in the name of freedom of press. May be it is coming, I feel.
Modi, and any such miscreant killing innocent will face justice. Each cent by cent, blow by blow. If not in this world, in next one they are doomed unless they repent and are forgiven by their victims willingly.
Modi was in the news for many other good reasons his visit to Japan and the success of his interactions there. this paper never published anyof them but one of the first to air this news, the bias is obvious. please do not pick on him not recognizing the economic and other progress he has made which everyone is talking about.
Please Email the Editor