Naseemuddin, son expelled from BSP for anti-party activities

LUCKNOW: The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) on Wednesday expelled senior party leader Naseemuddin Siddiqui and his son Afzaal from the party for “indulging in anti-party activities”.

A prominent Muslim face and close aide of party chief Mayawati, Naseemuddin was party’s general secretary, while his son was the zonal coordinator.

BSP national general secretary Satish Chandra Mishra announced the expulsion at a press conference here.

Mishra accused Siddiqui of taking money from party leaders and workers. “He invested illegal money in slaughter houses and land in western UP, besides indulging in other anti-party activities,” alleged Mishra.

“He (Naseemuddin) assured the workers that they will be rewarded with contracts in various government departments if BSP forms the government. He invested the money in ‘benami’ properties in Lucknow, Banda and NOIDA. He also raised money for election campaign without seeking permission from the national president,” Mishra claimed.

After party’s defeat in the assembly election when the workers started demanding their money back, Siddiqui started avoiding them and also tried to sell some of the properties.

When the workers lodged complaint with party leadership, BSP chief Mayawati summoned him to seek anr explanation, but he did not turn up. “The act of Siddiqui tarnished the image of the party forcing the party chief Mayawati to order his expulsion,” Mishra said.

Siddiqui’s was BSP’s Muslim face, and along with Mishra, was considered the two closest aides of Mayawati.

During the assembly election, Mayawati made him in-charge of West UP, Uttarakhand and Lucknow division.

To win the support of the Muslim community, Mayawati fielded 98 Muslim candidates, majority of whom were close confidantes of Siddiqui.

After defeat in the assembly election, Mayawati removed him from the organisation posts in UP and sent him to Madhya Pradesh. “Siddiqui did not take charge of the new assignment and continued to overlook the directions of the party,” Mishra said.

The BSP has also accused Siddiqui of promoting family members in politics and pressurising party cadre to give money, an allegation that has previously been levelled on Mayawati by former party leaders such as Swami Prasad Maurya and Brajesh Pathak who have since joined the BJP.

Siddiqui’s expulsion is being viewed as a big blow to the BSP that is already reeling under the humiliating loss it received in the 2017 UP polls. Siddiqui hasn’t spoken yet on his expulsion.

Registering protest over expulsion of Siddiqui several senior leaders, including Mohammad Irshad Khan, Pradeep Singh, Laxman Bharti, Faizan Ahmed, Shiv Pratap Singh, Salahuddin Siddiqui and Gyan Chand, resigned from the primary membership of the party.