In an unusual turn of political discourse, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma drew a controversial comparison between Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un. The Chief Minister’s comments were sparked by Zeeshan Siddique, a former president of the Mumbai Youth Congress and the son of former Congress leader Baba Siddique, who claimed that he faced a bizarre condition to meet Gandhi — he had to lose weight. Siddique vocalized a recent incident where an associate of Rahul Gandhi told him to shed 10 kilograms for a meeting during the Congress’s Bharat Jodo Yatra in Nanded.
Zeeshan Siddique, who is an MLA from Vandre East, expressed his dissatisfaction with the Congress, highlighting alleged acts of discrimination and a disregard for minority leaders within the party. Raising concerns about the treatment of Muslim members, Siddique questioned the Congress’s commitment to inclusivity. These allegations came to light shortly after his father, Baba Siddique, decided to leave the Congress and join the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) led by Ajit Pawar.
The younger Siddique stressed the mistreatment he faced, not just on the grounds of appearance but also on the basis of religion, emphasizing the lack of effective communication regarding his removal as the Mumbai Youth Congress chief. Concerns about the Congress leadership, particularly its president Mallikarjun Kharge’s autonomy within the party, have also been voiced by Siddique. Moreover, he expressed skepticism regarding the Congress’s political alliance with Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena faction within the Maha Vikas Aghadi, especially after Thackeray’s supposed approval of the Babri mosque demolition.