Shahid Siddiqui

Shahid Siddiqui is a former member of the Rajya Sabha, the Upper House of the Indian Parliament representing the state of Uttar Pradesh from 2002 to 2008. He is a journalist and the chief editor of the Nai Duniya, an Urdu weekly published from New Delhi.

Political career

Siddiqui began his political career with the Indian National Congress and was the head of its Minority Cell from 1997–99. He subsequently joined the Samajwadi party and was its National General Secretary from 2002 to 2008 and its Rajya Sabha member till he quit the Samajwadi party on 19 July 2008 and joined its arch-rival, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP). He was expelled from the BSP on 14 December 2009 for speaking out against its leader, Mayawati. He joined the Rashtriya Lok Dal on 12 April 2010. He cited his support for the RLD chief, Ajit Singh's demand for the creation of the state of Harit Pradesh as the reason for his joining the RLD. Prior to the 2012 Uttar Pradesh legislative assembly election, Siddiqui resigned from the RLD in protest against its alliance with the Congress party and returned to the Samajwadi party.

Expulsion from Samajwadi Party

He was expelled from Samajwadi Party in July 2012 for interviewing Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi on post Godhra anti minority riots for which Modi is accused of failing to control in time. Modi in that interview had said "Hang me if I am guilty". The cover-page interview ran into six pages and covered issues like state of Muslims in Gujarat, post-Godhra riots and other sensitive issues. Siddiqui termed Samajwadi party's stand of disowning him as a mere joke, saying "I had joined the party in presence of all major Samajwadi Party leaders, including Mulayam Singh Yadav. So this joke is really sad." It is reported in media that his expulsion from Samajwadi Party has irked Muslim leadership.