Mumbai: A day after Zeeshan Siddiqui spoke about ’10 kg weight loss condition’ to meet Rahul Gandhi, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday linked the episode to dictatorial tactics of the North Korean regime.
“The only other person, I can think of, who makes such ridiculous demands from his party workers – that they should look nice and photogenic – is a dynast who rules North Korea,” he tweeted while launching a scathing attack on the Congress scion.
Siddiqui, who was removed as Mumbai Youth Congress president on Wednesday, told the media on Thursday that he was asked to reduce weight by Rahul’s close aide for an audience with him. “Mallikarjun Kharge is such a senior leader but even his hands are tied…Rahul Gandhi is doing his work, but it looks like his team has taken ‘supari’ from other parties to finish Congress. During Bharat Jodo Yatra in Nanded, I was told by one of the persons close to Rahul Gandhi that I should lose 10 kg of weight and then he would make me meet him…” ANI quoted him as saying.
The 31-year-old also criticised the alleged mistreatment of minority leaders within Congress. “The extent of communalism in the Congress and Mumbai Youth Congress is unlike anywhere else. Is it a sin to be a Muslim in the Congress? The party has to answer why am I being targeted? Is it only because I am a Muslim?” he asked.
He also expressed apprehensions regarding the Congress party’s alliance with Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena faction within the Maha Vikas Aghadi. He flagged Thackeray’s praise for the demolition of Babri mosque during a solidarity rally as a particular concern.
Notably, Siddique was removed from the post after his father Baba Siddique resigned from Congress and joined the Ajit Pawar-led NCP.
