Mayawati called Muslims traitors for not voting for BSP: Sacked leader Naseemuddin Siddiqui

Naseemuddin Siddiqui, the Bahujan Samaj Party leader, who was expelled by party supremo Mayawati for alleged anti-party activities, on Thursday made several stunning allegations about the BSP chief.

Addressing a press-conference, Siddiqui alleged that Mayawati spoke ill of the Muslim community, other backward castes, and party founder Kanshi Ram.

"Mayawati ji ne mujhe bula kar poocha ki Musalmano ne BSP ko vote kyun nahi diya? Unhone kaha gaddar hain (Mayawati called me after the UP loss and asked why the Muslims had not voted for the BSP. She then called them traitors)," Siddiqui alleged.

Both Siddiqui and his son were expelled from the party earlier this week. Siddiqui, however, claims that the allegations that they were conducting anti-party activities is false.

However, reports by NDTV suggest that sources in the BSP said that the expulsion could be Ms Mayawati's attempt to distance herself and her party from Mr Siddiqui, who faces several corruption cases that are likely to be pursued with vigour by the new BJP government headed by Yogi Adityanath.