The Bahujan Samaj Party on Saturday suspended its Lok Sabha member Danish Ali for "anti-party" activities, with the Amroha MP denying the charge and asserting that he only raised his voice against the BJP-led government's "anti-people" policies.
In a brief statement, the party's Uttar Pradesh unit said Ali has been suspended for anti-party activities.
The move came a day after Ali walked out of Lok Sabha proceedings along with other opposition members to protest against the government's motion to expel TMC member Mahua Moitra for "unethical conduct". Other Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) members remained seated in the House.
Ali has been actively joining opposition ranks in attacking the BJP and its policies even though the Mayawati-led BSP has maintained a distance from the ruling alliance as well as the opposition.
Satish Chandra Misra, the party's general secretary, said in a letter to Ali, "You were told verbally many times that you should not make any statement or take any action against the policies, ideology and discipline of the party, but despite this you have been continuously acting against the party."
Misra reminded Ali that he was a member of HD Deve Gowda's Janata Dal (Secular) till 2018.
"...on the request of Deve Gowda, you were given a ticket from Amroha as a candidate of the Bahujan Samaj Party and before giving this ticket, Gowda had given an assurance that you will always follow all the policies and instructions of the Bahujan Samaj Party and will work in the interest of the party," the letter read.
The party charged him with forgetting the assurances he had given and indulging in anti-party activities.
"Therefore, now, in the interest of the party, you are suspended from the membership of the Bahujan Samaj Party with immediate effect," the letter in Hindi said.
Soon after his suspension from the party, Ali said he never indulged in any kind of anti-party activities and only raised his voice against the BJP-led government's "anti-people" policies, asserting that he will "fight back" and not compromise on his principles.
He said party supremo Mayawati's decision to suspend him was "unfortunate".
In a post in Hindi on X after his suspension from the party, Ali said he was grateful to BSP chief Mayawati for giving him a party ticket and helping him become a member of the Lok Sabha.
"She (Mayawati) also made me the leader of BSP parliamentary party. I always received her immense affection and support. Her decision today is unfortunate. I did all the hard work, worked diligently to strengthen the BSP and never indulged in any kind of anti-party activities," he said.
"The people of my Amroha area are witness to this. I have definitely opposed the anti-people policies of the BJP-led government and will continue to do so. I also raised my voice against looting by a few crony-capitalists and and will continue to do so. Because this is true public service," he said.
If doing this is a crime, Ali said, then he has committed this crime and is ready to face the punishment for it.
"I want to assure the people of Amroha that I will always be at their service," he added.
Later, at a press conference at his residence, Ali also talked about his stand backing Moitra, who was expelled from the Lok Sabha on Friday.
"The decision that happened yesterday, I consider it my responsibility that when injustice is being done to a woman parliamentarian, I should stand by her. I stood up against it inside the ethics committee (as a member) and also yesterday," the Amroha MP said.
"I will stand up if the honour of a woman is attacked. I consider it a badge of honour that when injustice was happening I stood up inside the committee and outside and will continue to do so," he said.
Ali said he has fulfilled the role of opposition in Parliament that the people had assigned him.
"I will fight back and will not compromise on my ideology and my principles," Ali asserted.
"The day I became an MP, from that day, I raised the voice of the exploited, deprived and backward sections of society as per the party's ideology and people's interest. If this is anti-party, I don't know. I have always been the first one to raise my voice against injustice and will continue to do so," he said.
Stressing that he worked according to party ideology and the Constitution, Ali said when in August 2019, he was the leader of the parliamentary party, there was some "confusion on party line" on some bills.
"We took a straight line and I had to pay the price for it, was removed as the leader of parliamentary party and I complied by it," Ali said.
Ali has been actively joining opposition ranks in attacking the BJP and its policies even though the Mayawati-led BSP has maintained a distance from the ruling alliance as well as the opposition.
He was recently in the news after BJP MP Ramesh Bidhuri made objectionable remarks against him in Parliament.
