TMC govt afraid of ISF's growing popularity: Abbas Siddique

By Ujjwal Roy
Hoogly (West Bengal) [India], January 25 (ANI): Pirzada Md. Abbas Siddique, the founder of Indian Secular Front has lashed out at the ruling Trinamool Congress Government of West Bengal and said that the TMC is afraid of the growing power of the ISF and is trying to subdue them.
He was speaking on the arrest of Indian Secular Front Chairman and MLA Nawsad Siddique and 17 other party workers, who were arrested and remanded in Police Custody till February 1 following a clash with police on Saturday.
"It is really unfortunate. Every party has the right to conduct its programmes. What happened there is really saddening. It is an attempt to murder democracy. Such incidents are sending a wrong message about Bengal," Abbas Siddique told ANI.
"The government is afraid of ISF. There is only one MLA of ISF. However, people across the religions and languages are coming under the umbrella of ISF. This has created fear in the minds of the TMC leaders," he added.
Questioning the move of the administration for keeping Nawshad Siddique in police custody, his brother Abbas termed it as a sheer misuse of power by the government. Calling out the example of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, Siddique said, "If Netaji can go to jail 11 times for the sake of justice, my brother also can."
"Nawshad is making people aware of their rights given by the constitution of the country. This is perhaps not being liked by certain people," he added.
Slamming the TMC government for corruption, Abbas Siddique said, "Everybody is witnessing the corruption of the state government. They are afraid of the fact that Nawshad is making people aware of this corruption and now they have to face the questions of the people," he said.
Speaking on the National Register of Citizens (NRC) issue he said, "Everybody has the right to live in this country. All of us have fought together for its independence. The government mustn't do anything which disturbs the harmony of the country."
"The popularity of ISF is increasing. People want ISF by their side. The backward classes irrespective of religion are also thinking that only ISF can talk about their problems," said Siddique.
"Bhangar has always been left behind in education. Now, with Nawshad, people are slowly moving towards development. Now, when the TMC sees people moving away from them in Nawshad's favour they get angry," he said. (ANI)