New Delhi:
Shahid Siddiqui first made headlines for interviewing Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi for his Urdu weekly. He still continues to make headlines as the Samajwadi Party has disowned him for that interview. In an exclusive interview to NDTV's Kashish, Mr Siddiqui says that instead of hanging Mr Modi, the Samajwadi Party hung him.
Here are some excerpts from that interview:NDTV: Sir, two days later, how do you feel about this expulsion?
Shahid Siddiqui: I feel quite relieved actually because now I can speak out my mind. I feel that in today's politics it is difficult for anyone with a conscience to survive. I think this decision to expel me is like shooting the messenger. Modi said if I am guilty, hang me. Samajwadi Party has instead of hanging Modi, hung me.
NDTV: Were you surprised at the decision?
Shahid Siddiqui: Yes, I was very surprised because I have been doing journalism for last 40 years and politics for 20 years. As a Congress leader I interviewed Mulayam Singh Yadav.
NDTV: The manner in which it happened?
Shahid Siddiqui: Yes. But it seems Samajwadi Party is extremely frustrated with Uttar Pradesh. They are unable to come to grip with the administration there. The Muslims are feeling really frustrated with them because in the last three months alone, 12 riots have taken place which is more than in the last five years. So Muslims are losing faith in the Samajwadi Party. So they wanted to show, to make some sacrifice - look we are pro-Muslim because we have taken action against Shahid Siddiqui.
NDTV: So you're saying this is a knee jerk reaction. Was there any communication about this expulsion at all?
Shahid Siddiqui: No there was no communication. And it was a very foolish way in which they said he was never a member of the party. Shiv Pal Yadav says I don't know Shahid Siddiqui who was a member of the party for eight years, a Rajya Sabha member for six years. Then he doesn't know his own party, his own state. He only knows how to come to power and grab power.
NDTV: In a sense, there obviously is a certain amount of hurt - are you more hurt in the way they have expelled you or for the reason they have expelled you?
Shahid Siddiqui: For the reason. Because it is their decision to keep me or throw me out. I interviewed Mulayam when I was in Congress. He never asked me any questions then.
NDTV: So are you saying this is a bit of hypocrisy?
Shahid Siddiqui: It is absolute hypocrisy. Failure to understand democracy, journalism, conscience, politics. Whoever makes politics their profession, wants to use it for personal gains.
NDTV: In the last many years, especially with Dimple Yadav now becoming MP of Kannauj, it has now increasingly been criticised that the party is almost completely dynastically run. The criticism against family politics they used to cast are now qualities they have inherently imbibed. Is that what you have observed?
Shahid Siddiqui: It's extremely unfortunate. But can't blame only Samajwadi Party for this
parivaarvaad. It is across parties and that's why they are becoming autocratic. Because of dynasty politics, there is more corruption... they make money to perpetuate dynasty politics.
NDTV: Is this true in the case of Mulayam Singh?
Shahid Siddiqui: Absolutely. Today, the failure and paralysis of the government is because there are so many centres of powers. Everyone is pulling the administration in different directions. Akhilesh Yadav, I have great love and respect for, but he is failing to take any decisions for development and growth because everyone is pulling the administration in different directions for their vested interests. The family people are behaving as if they are there for forever to rule. They can do and get away with anything.
NDTV: Recently was the case of Azam Khan and then of course there's you... in the last few years, there was Kalyan Singh and then there was also Amar Singh... many are questioning that Samajwadi Party is increasingly becoming opportunistic - they use people for when they need them and simply discard them.
Shahid Siddiqui: You can't compare Kalyan Singh with me... but yes, they will use Hindu rightists, Narendra Modi, person who demolished the Babri Masjid, Kalyan Singh, they used Sakshi Maharaj who said he demolished Babri Masjid and would build a toilet there. That kind of person they brought to Rajya Sabha. On the one hand they are doing that on the other they are trying to make a fool of Muslims by doing these gimmicks. So that opportunism is very much there. Muslims who were feeling orphaned for last five years believed that if people like Shahid Siddiqui had joined then they could repose faith in the party.
NDTV: Are you saying the party is spinning a yarn around the eyes of the Muslim community?
Shahid Siddiqui: They only use people. They use people and throw them into the waste paper basket for the family. They think only their family has the right to rule. I can see that even Azam Khan is not very happy... his voice is not being heard. I said all this even before to the party, though not publicly. Wrote several letters to Mulayam Singh, Akhilesh Yadav.
NDTV: Did you feel that Mulayam Singh Yadav wanted you to be a sycophant and manipulator?
Shahid Siddiqui: Not me. Everybody. Anybody who's not is sidelined.
NDTV: There is a sense among some of the top ranks that because you weren't a Muslim vote puller and so at this stage as a strategy it made more sense to expel you?
Shahid Siddiqui: They say this about everybody. I tried not to consciously build a communal vote bank. I was a credible face of the party in every community. I don't want to be just a Muslim face. Tell me who is the Muslim voter puller in Uttar Pradesh or anywhere in India? Because they do not allow, no party allows a Muslim leader to emerge. Secular Muslim parties only want
mukhotas (masks), they don't want real leaders and then they say, you don't get votes.
Arre, if Mulayam Singh has any credibility today, it is because people like me joined him. Nai Duniya has always supported Samajwadi Party but if they think I will bring truckloads of Muslims, that is not my style of politics. In six months the Lok Sabha elections are coming and they will see their mistake and I am not going to go back to the Samajwadi Party... to this kind of dirty politics. This is over.
NDTV: As a chief minister how do you rate Akhilesh Yadav?
Shahid Siddiqui: As a chief minister he has not made any impact till now. I feel he's not being allowed to work. His decisions are being countermanded.
NDTV: How many marks would you give him out of 10?
Shahid Siddiqui: It is a little early to say, but at the moment I will give him five marks. Very honestly, very objectively, I will give him five. Not four but five because he is making an effort. In spite of being from dynasty, he has worked a lot and he is a very, very decent person.
NDTV: Shahid Siddiqui has been in every big political party, where do you see yourself going from here?
Shahid Siddiqui: Nowhere. I want to move away from party politics. Only regret I have is of leaving the Lok Dal, otherwise no regret leaving any other party.