Expelled BSP leader calls Maya a ‘gangster’
In an ugly war of words, expelled BSP national general secretary Naseemuddin Siddiqui called Mayawati a “gangster” whereas the party chief termed him a “habitual blackmailer”.
He also accused her of demanding ₹50 crore from him, a claim that the BSP supremo has refuted.
“Members of her gang kill people, set houses afire, beat up rivals, break their cars and issue threats as well,” Siddiqui alleged. She had also hatched a conspiracy to kill a senior BSP leader, he added. Siddiqui and his son Afzaal were expelled from the party on Wednesday on charges of indulging in anti-party activities. Siddiqui added that on Mayawati’s direction, members of her gang set afire the house of former UP Congress Committee president Rita Bahuguna Joshi, who is now cabinet minister in the BJP government.
A number of BSP leaders who challenged her authority were beaten up and tortured by members of the gang, he said.
Addressing a press conference here Siddiqui, who was a close confidant of the BSP chief, said Mayawati had demanded ₹50 crore after the assembly elections. He released audio tapes to support his charge. In the tapes, the BSP chief is allegedly directing him to fulfil her orders and collect money from the candidates. Mayawati is also heard directing him to deposit the fund collected during the membership drive. “When I failed to fulfil her demand, she expelled me from the party,” he said.
However, Mayawati has vehemently denied the charges and said the tapes were “doctored”.
Addressing a press conference just a couple of hours after Siddiqui, Mayawati said she had made Siddiqui in-charge of western UP during the assembly elections but got complaints from party workers who said he was blackmailing them and minting money in the name of party.
“Workers in the April 19 party meeting convened by me told me how he (Siddiqui) was blackmailing them by taping their conversations. He misused his position,” she said. Siddiqui had sidelined genuine party workers and was promoting only his business partners in the party, she added.
Siddiqui also accused party’s national general secretary SC Mishra of amassing illegal assets.
On Wednesday, Mishra had accused Siddiqui of investing in ‘benami’ property.