Modi's 'touch' resulted in fall of Siddiqui: Congress

New Delhi: Congress on Saturday said Narendra Modi's "touch" led to the fall of Samajwadi Party leader Shahid Siddiqui, who was disowned by his party after he interviewed the Gujarat Chief Minister.

"It used to be said that Midas touch turned anything into gold but Modi's touch is different, it makes anything into (dead as) stone," Congress spokesman Rashid Alvi told reporters.

His reaction came in the backdrop of the Samajwadi Party distancing itself from Siddiqui, saying he is no longer a part of the party two days after his interview with Modi made waves.

Siddqiqui was a Samajwadi MP before he joined the RLD, only to rejoin his parent party in January this year.

When asked further about the Siddiqui issue, Alvi steered clear saying it was the internal matter of Samajwadi Party. Siddiqui, who is the editor of Urdu weekly 'Nai Duniya', had recently interviewed Modi in which the Gujarat Chief Minister had refused to apologise for the post-Godhra riots and instead said he would prefer to be hanged if found guilty.

In an image makeover exercise, Modi had said in the interview, "If my government had done this (post-Godhra riots), I should be hanged in public in such a way that it remains a lesson for the next 100 years so that nobody dares to do it (such a crime)."

Siddqiqui was a Samajwadi MP before he joined the RLD, only to rejoin his parent party in January this year.

(For updates you can share with your friends, follow IBNLive on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and Pinterest)