Zeeshan Siddique says he was asked to lose 10kg weight if he wanted to meet Rahul Gandhi
Rahul Gandhi is a good leader but his team is enough to destroy the party, Baba Siddique's son Zeeshan Siddique said after he was removed from his party post.
Zeeshan Siddique, son of Baba Siddique who recently quit the Congress to join Ajit Pawar's Nationalist Congress Party, on Thursday lashed out at the Congress in a press conference after he was recently removed from the post of the Mumbai Youth Congress chief. He hinted at quitting the Congress as he expressed his liking for Ajit Pawar as a non-communal leader. Recounting an experience of Bharat Jodo Yatra, Zeeshan said Mallikarjun Kharge is like his father and Rahul Gandhi is a good leader but Rahul Gandhi's team is doing more damage to Rahul Gandhi than any rival party. "I was walking in Nanded. A person close to Rahul Gandhi told me 'pehle chal 10 kilo kam kar phir tereko Rahul ji se milwaunga' (First lost 10 kg weight, then I will make you meet Rahul Gandhi). I am your MLA, chief of Mumbai Youth Congress. And you are body-shaming me? I am still walking, no? Do I eat on your money," Zeeshan said.
"Rahul Gandhi's team is destroying the party. They are so rude," Zeeshan said adding that he already made it clear that he was with the party even after his father left the party. "Till last week, I used to tell everyone that I would be with the party. But now I can not say for sure because the party is not taking care of the minorities. So minorities should also keep their options open," Baba Siddique's son said.
"Many people are asking me why I have been removed from the post. Honestly speaking, I don't know because the senior leadership did not inform me that I have been removed. On one hand, senior leaders called me and said that they are my father figures now that my father is not in the party and on the other, I am removed from my position. If a family member joining another party is the issue, then Rahul Gandhi should not be in Congress because Maneka Gandhi and Varun Gandhi are with the BJP. There are many such examples like AK Antony and Anil Antony. But their surname is not Siddique. So, is my surname the problem?" Zeeshan said.
Zeeshan said Congress and Shiv Sena are not ideologically aligned because Congress claims to protect the minority and Uddhav Thackeray's Sena takes pride that they attacked the Babri Masjid first.
“I raised my voice when Shiv Sena was taking credit for vaccines but the top leadership used to warn me and asked me not to speak against the CM (Uddhav),” Zeeshan said.
‘Ajit Dada secular leader of Maharashtra’
Zeeshan Siddique said it is unfortunate that the party is walking on the path of downfall. Commenting on the recent big-ticket exits from the party, Zeeshan said they all were feeling suffocated in the party. "Now I can't say I will remain with the Congress. I will now speak to my people and see what options I have because the party only pretends to support the minority but it does not. It is clear that the party does not need us. Congress has a problem with the minority but it wants Muslim votes also. I have not yet made up my mind about joining any other party. But if the party does not need me, why should I remain here?" Zeeshan Siddique said. Zeeshan praised Ajit Pawar as a secular leader and dropped hints that he may follow in the footsteps of his father and join Ajit Pawar's NCP soon.