People like Naqvi have kept BJP disconnected from Muslims: Sabir Ali

Former Janata Dal United (JD-U) leader Sabir Ali, whose membership in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was cancelled, on Saturday said people like BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi are keeping the party disconnected from the Muslims.

On the BJP cancelling his membership, Ali said, "It is their decision and I don't want to comment on this."

"But I would like to respond to the allegations made by Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi. First of all I will file a defamation case against him," he added.

"I don't need his (Naqvi) certificate. The whole country knows about his roots among Muslims. He thought that if I join the BJP, then their prospects will gets affected and therefore he got frightened. So, people like him are the actual reason for the BJP's disconnect with the Muslims," he said.

Earlier today, the BJP had cancelled the membership of newly inducted Sabir Ali, whose induction into the party was opposed by some party leaders.

Announcing the decision of the BJP, party spokesmen Ravi Shankar Prasad said: "Party president Rajnath Singh has decided to cancel the membership of Sabir Ali. Now, his membership stands annulled. Singh has taken this decision after giving it a thought."

In a clear warning to party leaders, Prasad also said that Rajnath Singh has suggested that the BJP members should raise internal issues in party forums only.

Earlier in the morning, Sabir Ali had written a letter to the BJP unit of Bihar asking them to put his membership on hold till party leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi's allegations on him are cleared.

"I have written a letter to Dharmendra Pradhan saying that they can set up a committee to enquire the allegations made against me. If they will be able to prove any charge I will quit politics and they can put my membership on hold until the charges are cleared," said Ali.

Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi opposed the induction of expelled Janata Dal-United (JD-U) leader Sabir Ali into the party on grounds that he has been named as one of the accused in the murder of music mogul Gulshan Kumar and was a friend of Indian Mujahideen Chief Yasin Bhatkal.

On Friday, directly attacking Ali, Naqvi had tweeted "Terrorist Bhatakal friend join BJP, soon accepting Dawood".