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Dec 09, 2023

BSP Suspends Danish Ali Day After He Protested Against Expulsion of TMC MP Mahua Moitra

'You were warned many times against statements or actions against the policies, ideology and discipline of the party. But, despite that you have continuously been acting against the party,' the Bahujan Samaj Party said.
Danish Ali. Photo: Wikimedia Commons/ Government of India/GODL License.
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New Delhi: Bahujan Samaj Party has suspended its Lok Sabha MP Danish Ali for indulging in “anti-party activities”.

The specific reasons that led to his suspension are still not available. However, this comes exactly a day after he threw his weight behind expelled Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra, following the recommendations of the parliamentary ethics committee.

“You were warned many times against statements or actions against the policies, ideology and discipline of the party. But, despite that you have continuously been acting against the party,” the BSP said in a statement.

It further said, “In 2018, you were working with HD Deve Gowda of the Janata Dal (Secular) party. At that time, both the BSP and JD(S) were contesting together in the Karnataka assembly election. After the Karnataka election, you were given a ticket from Amroha and asked to contest from there due to Deve Gowda’s insistence.”

It then went on to say, “Deve Gowda had even said that you would be contesting the Amroha Lok Sabha seat on the grounds that you will be working for the BSP. However, despite winning from Amroha, you have forgotten all the promises and assurances you made and indulged in anti-party activities. The party has decided to suspend you with immediate effect.”

On Friday, December 8, Ali had held a one-man protest outside parliament against Moitra’s expulsion. He hung a placard around his neck on which it was written “don’t turn (the) victim into (the) culprit”. “I’ve put this (poster) because the committee also mentioned me in its recommendation… because I want to bring her justice. She wasn’t given an opportunity…” Ali had told news agency ANI.

“On one side, the whole world saw how Ramesh Bidhuri (a BJP Lok Sabha MP) acted… was there no sense of honour or decorum in Parliament then? Why now? What is this?” a furious Ali had asked.

In response to his suspension, Ali said that he is ready to face consequences by opposing the “anti-people policies” of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). In a series of posts on X (formerly, Twitter), he wrote in Hindi, “I will always be grateful to sister Mayawati ji that she helped me become a member of the Lok Sabha by giving me a BSP ticket. Sister also made me the leader of the BSP parliamentary party. I always received her immense love and support. Her decision today is unfortunate. I worked hard to strengthen BSP and have never done any kind of anti-party work.

The people of Amroha are witness to this. I have opposed the anti-people policies of the BJP government and will continue to do so. The public’s wealth is owned by a few capitalists and have raised my voice against looting and will continue to do so. Because this is true public service. If doing this is a crime, then I have committed this crime, and I am ready to face the punishment for it. I want to assure the people of Amroha that I will always be at your service.”

Meanwhile, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav also responded to Ali’s suspension. “The letter (Ali suspension letter) was circulated when I was on my way to this press conference. Could it be that it (BSP) thought that he (Ali) was on his way to the SP,” he said in Lucknow.

Ali was last in the news when Bidhuri, a BJP MP from South Delhi, abused the former on the floor of Lok Sabha in the most crass language possible. Ali had approached Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla for action against Bidhuri over remarks made by the latter regarding him, during the debate in the Lok Sabha on the Chandrayaan 3 mission.

“The BJP MP was speaking in the House. During the speech, he said some people wanted Prime Minister Modi to die like a dog. I intervened and asked him what he was saying and that no one said that about the honourable Prime Minister. Then he called me names which included ‘terrorist’. I want to ask RSS chief Mohan Bhagwatji, what is taught in their shakhas? Is this what they learn in Prime Minister Modiji’s pathshala?” Ali had said, according to the Indian Express.

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