Congress MLA from Mumbai, Zeeshan Siddiqui, on Monday joined the NCP’s ‘Jan Sanman Yatra’ led by Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and claimed his party was ignoring him as he took a veiled jibe at Rahul Gandhi over his “Mohabbat is Dukan” remark.
Siddiqui’s father and former MLA Baba Siddiqui had left the Congress and joined the Ajit Pawar-led party recently.
Zeeshan joined the yatra after it reached his constituency Bandra East.
He hailed the Mahayuti government’s flagship “Mazi Ladki Bahin” scheme for women, which was slammed by the Opposition.
He claimed Congress was not inviting him to events and meetings and alleged “severe injustice.
Addressing the NCP rally, Zeeshan said, “We faced a lot of injustice. Whatever good work is going on here (Bandra East constituency) is due to Ajit Dada and the support of others. We were patiently and diligently doing our work, but if someone questioned our integrity, we should be able to stand up and respond properly”.
He said opening the Mohabbat is Dukan is not enough and that love has to be in the heart, a jibe aimed at Lok Sabha opposition leader Rahul Gandhi.
Responding to the “Mohabbat ki Dukan” barb, Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole indicated “appropriate action”.
Earlier, Zeeshan told reporters he was taking responsibility for welcoming the Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra as the yatra passed through his assembly constituency.
He extended support for the Ladki Bahin scheme claiming it will greatly benefit numerous women in Maharashtra.
Accusing the Congress of ignoring him, Zeeshan claimed he was not consulted or invited to join the Nyay rally taken out by Mumbai Congress chief and party MP Varsha Gaikwad which passed through the Bandra (East) assembly segment.
“The Congress has begun distributing nomination forms (for upcoming assembly elections) to candidates. However, when my representative approached the party, he was denied the form. The message is clear to me. Nevertheless, I am determined to contest the upcoming assembly election,” the MLA claimed.
Reacting to Zeeshan’s comments, Patole said some individuals have started considering themselves more important than the party.
“Congress is not powerless, but some individuals who have risen through the party ranks now believe they are more important than the party itself. The national president of Congress and the in-charge of Maharashtra will be visiting Mumbai tomorrow (for Rajiv Gandhi’s birth anniversary function), and we will update them,” he said.
This election will put (Zeeshan) in his place. We will take necessary action, Patole added.
Incidentally, six Congress MLAs cross-voted during last month’s MLC elections in Maharashtra. It was rumoured that Zeeshan Siddiqui was among them.
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