After disowned by SP, Shahid Siddiqui calls party move as joke

NEW DELHI Disowned by the Samajwadi Party over his interview of Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi, Shahid Siddiqui on Sunday said he was inducted in January before all party leaders, including Mulayam Singh Yadav.

NEW DELHI: Disowned by the Samajwadi Party over his interview of Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi, Shahid Siddiqui on Sunday said he was inducted in January before all party leaders, including Mulayam Singh Yadav.

Siddiqui defended his Modi interview, saying his intention was to make him face tough questions on the 2002 Gujarat riots. "I asked questions which nobody asks to Modi. People are scared even to see him in his eyes, but I asked him tough questions. So, there is no question of favouring anybody," he said.

Modi, in his interview to the editor of Urdu newspaper 'Nai Duniya', had reinforced his refusal to apologise for the post-Godhra riots and said he should be hanged if found guilty. SP on Saturday claimed that he was not a member of the party and said it had nothing to do with the interview.

Siddiqui termed his party's stand 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." He said he was inducted as the party spokesperson.