New Delhi: Lok Sabha member Danish Ali, who was recently suspended by the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) for anti-party activities, landed in Manipur on Sunday to participate in the Congress’ Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra. In a series of social media posts, Ali said he would be failing in his duty as a politician if he didn’t join the “biggest drive for unity and justice”.
“This is a very important moment for me. I have arrived here after much soul-searching. I had two options – either to accept the status quo and ignore the exploitation of Dalits, backwards, tribals, minorities and other marginalised and poor sections, or to launch an all-out campaign against this atmosphere of fear, hate, exploitation and the deepening divide in the country,” he said.
“My conscience pushed me to take the second option. Taking this decision came naturally to me as I was myself at the receiving end of a similar attack in Parliament, where swear words were used by a member of the ruling party against me and my religion,” the BSP leader added, referring to the objectionable remarks made by BJP MP Ramesh Bidhuri on the floor of Parliament.
Explaining his decision to join the yatra, he further wrote, “I have realised that the attack on me was part of a larger plan to create an atmosphere of fear and hate in the country.”
The BSP led by former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mayawati suspended Danish Ali last month amid reports of him cosying up to Congress leaders. Former Congress president and Wayanad MP Rahul Gandhi visited Ali at his official residence in Delhi to extend his support following Bidhuri’s derogatory remarks against the BSP lawmaker.
Danish Ali has kept the suspense going on his proposed entry into the Congress even though he maintained that irrespective of the suspension, he would continue to fight the BJP.
