Was asked to lose 10kgs to meet Rahul: Congress MLA
Zeeshan Siddique, who was recently removed as Mumbai Youth Congress president, has accused the Congress party of discrimination and body-shaming. During a media conference, he claimed he was instructed to lose 10 kilograms before meeting Congress leader Rahul Gandhi during the 2022-23 "Bharat Jodo Yatra." "During the previous 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' in Nanded, I was told by one of the persons close to Rahul Gandhi that I should lose 10kg before they could let me meet him," Siddique stated.
Siddique questions treatment of minority leaders in Congress
Siddique also alleged that the Congress party mistreats leaders from minority communities. "The extent of communalism in the Congress and the Mumbai Youth Congress is unlike anywhere else. Is it a sin to be a Muslim in Congress? Why am I being targeted? Is it...because I am a Muslim?" he asked. Further, he praised Ajit Pawar as a secular leader and hinted at following in the footsteps of his father, Baba Siddique, who recently joined Pawar's Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).
Siddique was removed as Mumbai Youth Congress president
Siddique, a first-time MLA representing Bandra (East) in suburban Mumbai, was removed from the post of Mumbai Youth Congress president on Wednesday. This happened just days after his father left the Congress, ending his 48-year association with the party. After Siddique was removed, Akhilesh Yadav was appointed as the Mumbai Youth Congress's new president. Siddique expressed his disappointment on social media, saying he had dedicated 12 years to the organization and had not received any official intimation about his removal.
Criticism of Gandhi's team and alliance
Regarding his next steps, Siddique said he will speak to his team and supporters and take a call. "But I'm keeping all options open," he said. While he described Gandhi as a good leader, he stated that it appears that people around him have accepted a contract with other parties to bring down the Congress. Before his father, a three-time MLA from the Bandra West constituency, joined the NCP, other Congress leaders, such as Ashok Chavan, left the party.