Zeeshan Siddique, son of Baba Siddique who recently quit the Maharashtra Congress to join Ajit Pawar's Nationalist Congress Party has claimed that he was asked to lose at least 10 kilograms if he wanted an audience with Rahul Gandhi.
Zeeshan, who was removed from the post of Mumbai Youth Congress President on February 21, a few days after his father quit the grand old party, also alleged there is no place for Muslims in Congress.
Recounting an experience of Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, Zeeshan said, " Mallikarjun Kharge is such a senior leader but even his hands are tied. Rahul Gandhi is doing great work, but it looks like his team has taken 'supari' from other parties to finish Congress. During Bharat Jodo Yatra in Nanded, I was told by one of the persons close to Rahul Gandhi that I should lose 10kg of weight and then he would make me meet him."
"I am your party worker, the Chief of Mumbai Youth Congress and you are body-shaming me? " Zeeshan said.
Siddique, MLA from Vandre East, also claimed that the Congress had the worst communalism among all parties and he faced harassment because of his religion.
"I won't say I will remain in the Congress, but I will discuss my political options with my supporters (first)," said Siddique.
He did not receive any official communication about being removed as the Mumbai Youth Congress chief, he claimed.
"I have been repeatedly saying that even though my father Baba Siddique joined the NCP, I will remain with the Congress, but still action was taken against me," Zeeshan said.
"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.
He bagged 90 percent votes in the election for the Mumbai Youth Congress president's post, and still the party took nine months to appoint him to the post, he said, adding, "I was harassed a lot because I am a Muslim."
"Muslims have no place in the Congress, " he alleged.
