New Delhi: Coming down heavily on the Congress, MLA Zeeshan Siddique, who was recently ousted as the president of the party’s Mumbai Youth wing, said that Muslims are marginalised within the grand old party's ranks, news agency PTI reported.
Addressing the media in Mumbai on Thursday, Siddique, called out what he perceived as “rampant communalism” within the Congress, singling it out as the worst offender among all political factions.
He further lamented facing discrimination based on his religious affiliation.
"I cannot guarantee my continued allegiance to the Congress at this point. I will first consult with my supporters about my future political course," Siddique said, echoing his father, former Maharashtra minister Baba Siddique's decision to depart from the Congress to join the NCP led by Ajit Pawar.
Siddique claimed he had not received any formal notification regarding his removal from the post of Mumbai Youth Congress president.
"Despite securing an overwhelming 90 percent of the votes in the election for the Mumbai Youth Congress president's position, the party delayed my appointment for nine months. This delay and subsequent actions against me reek of religious bias," Siddique asserted.
Addressing the media, he lamented the protracted ordeal, attributing it to his religious identity.
“I was harassed a lot because I am a Muslim. Muslims do not have any place in the Congress. In Mumbai and Karnataka, two Muslim candidates won Youth wing elections but it took nearly a year for them to get the post in both cases,” he further said.
Expressing disillusionment, Siddique criticised the Congress for its partnership with the Shiv Sena under Uddhav Thackeray's leadership within the Maha Vikas Aghadi coalition. He particularly condemned Thackeray's endorsement of the demolition of the Babri mosque during a solidarity rally of the alliance in Mumbai.
While acknowledging Rahul Gandhi's efforts towards the party, Siddique levelled accusations against his team, alleging corruption.
Responding to Siddique's ouster, BJP leader Shehzad Poonawalla said, "Congress is the most anti-Muslim party. Zeeshan Siddique is facing it himself. The Congress has only kept Muslims as a vote bank."