‘Atiq’s Wife Shaista Parveen Still In BSP’, MLA Umashankar Singh Says Party Wanted Her To Contest…

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) leader Umashankar Singh on Sunday expressed solidarity with slain gangster-politician Atiq Ahmad’s wife Shaista Parveen and said it wasn’t gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmad who joined the party, but his widow, who is yet to be convicted in any case.

Singh — the lone BSP MLA in the 403-member UP Legislative Assembly-said that  Shaista is still in the party and has not been expelled, adding that the party is sympathetic towards her and even wanted her to contest mayoral elections.

“We made Shaista Parveen join the party, not Atiq Ahmed and we also wanted her to stand for Mayor elections. Till now neither the government nor the police has shown any such video that shows Shaista Parveen has any link with that incident. The day she gets involved, BSP will not keep such a person in the party,” Singh was quoted as saying by the news agency ANI.

“No action has been taken by the party against her, she is still in the party,” he added.

Parveen had joined the BSP in the presence of its senior leaders on January 5, and was reportedly being considered as the party’s mayoral candidate for Prayagraj.

However, after Shaista was named as a prime accused in lawyer Umesh Pal’s murder, BSP supremo Mayawati said BSP will now not give the mayoral ticket to Atiq’s wife, nor to any member of his family.

“As far as Shaista Parveen is concerned, I would like to make it clear that as per the facts emerging from media reports regarding the Umesh Pal murder case, as soon as the name of Atiq’s wife emerged and after she has gone underground, the situation has changed,” Mayawati had told reporters.

“In this scenario, our party will now not give the mayoral ticket to Atiq’s wife, nor to any member of his family,” she had said.

The urban local body elections will be held in the state on May 4 and 11.

(With PTI inputs)

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