Mayawati sought Rs 50 crore for BSP, alleges Siddiqui

(19:00)

Lucknow, May 11 (IANS) A day after he was sacked from the BSP, former PWD Minister Naseemuddin Siddiqui on Thursday accused party supremo Mayawati and her brother of making illegal demands, including asking Rs 50 crore for the party.

Addressing a press conference, the former BSP General Secretary also alleged that Mayawati had called Muslims "traitors".

Siddiqui, who was expelled along with his son a day ago, said he had "ample proof" that Mayawati, her brother Anand and party General Secretary Satish Chandra Mishra made illegal demands to him.

Alleging that Mayawati had asked for Rs 50 crore from him, he said: "I asked from where can I get this amount, to which, she asked me to sell my property."

The expelled leader claimed he tried to explain to her that his property was not worth even a quarter of money she was asking for.

Siddiqui said after the Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Congress cobbled an alliance ahead of the February-March assembly elections, he told Mayawati the Muslims were drifting towards the alliance.

"An upset Mayawati called the Muslim community 'gaddar' (traitors)," the former Minister said.

He also accused the former Chief Minister of insulting him and many senior party office-bearers repeatedly.

Siddiqui said he had dedicated his whole life to the Bahujan Samaj Party and the Dalit leader, but she expelled him from the party on flimsy grounds.

She did not even give me an audience to explain whatever was said against me, he said.

"I am pained that sacrifices made by me and my family for the last so many years have been rewarded with sudden expulsion," Siddiqui said.

The former Minister also denied charges against him and his son, who too has been expelled from the BSP.

He said the BSP fared badly in the 2012 and 2017 assembly elections and the 2009 and 2014 general elections due to Mayawati's wrong policies and actions.

Siddiqui, once a confidant of the BSP chief, was expelled along with his son Afzal on Wednesday for alleged involvement in anti-party activities.

Mishra also accused him of taking money from candidates during the 2017 assembly elections, in which the BSP's tally fell to an all-time low of 19.

Siddiqui, a three-time senior minister in previous BSP governments, was also accused of becoming a partner in many slaughterhouse businesses and holding "benami" properties at many places.

He has denied all charges.