Taking potshots at the Akhilesh Yadav Government in Uttar Pradesh for using communal card to suspend Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer Durga Shakti Nagpal, former Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Shahid Siddiqui on Saturday welcomed Congress President Sonia Gandhi's letter to Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh in which she has said that the bureaucrat must not be 'unfairly treated'.
Siddiqui said the Muslims are not going to be fooled by these actions of the Samajwadi Party Government.
"We want real actions, we want education, we want development and we don't these people to use our name to protect their own vested interest. And it is good that Sonia Gandhi has come forward," said Siddiqui.
"We welcome it and I think every Indian will welcome it and especially, Indian Muslims will welcome this move from Sonia Gandhi or from any other leader who stand up for honest officers and honest politics," he added.
Siddiqui alleged that Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav are trying to protect corrupt forces in the name of secularism.
"We do not accept it, we totally condemn it. Mulayam Singh should not play this communal name for protecting corruption. He is totally in league with the mafias of all sorts, especially the sand mafia. Sand mafia has always been very very powerful in Uttar Pradesh and this sand mafia has its presence in every political party, including BJP and Congress, and they provide funds over there and they are protected by all the politicians," said Siddiqui.
"I have faced this in my constituency; I stood up against them in Bijnaur and Muzaffarnagar. Every political leader united to see that I was defeated, a lot of money was pumped in and I have been fighting these forces for the last so many years," he added.
Gandhi has written a letter to the Prime Minister, asking him to intervene in the case of Nagpal's suspension.
According to reports, Gandhi has told the Prime Minister in her letter that though the matter is between the Uttar Pradesh Government and the IAS officer, the Central Government should see how it can intervene in it.
Gandhi letter comes two days after representatives of the Central IAS officers' Association met Minister of State in PMO V. Narayanasamy to demand justice for Nagpal.
The Left Front has demanded that Nagpal's suspension issue should be taken up in the Monsoon Session of Parliament.
"This victimisation of an IAS officer should find a place in Parliament. The UP Government should respond on this. If action is not taken, then a wrong message will go to the honest officers," said Communist Party of India (CPI) leader Gurudas Dasgupta said.
Nagpal was suspended last month ostensibly for taking on the sand mafia and for ordering the demolition of a wall of a mosque that was being built on government land in the state's Gautam Buddh Nagar District, where she was posted as Sub-Divisional Magistrate.
According to reports, the 2009-batch IAS officer had seized nearly 300 trolleys of sand being illegally mined from the Yamuna river bed.
Though the Uttar Pradesh Government has called it as an 'administrative decision', against her for demolishing a wall which was part of an intended mosque, but many believe that it was the result of pressure from the mining mafia.
Earlier, the Uttar Pradesh Government said removing Nagpal was an "administrative decision" as her decision to demolish the mosque could trigger communal tension, especially since it came during the month of Ramzan.
Defending his government's action, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav has said the bureaucrat ordered the demolition of a portion of the mosque which might have resulted in disturbing peace in the state.
"You should inquire from the people of that village. The Muslim families collected donation for building a mosque, a wall was built, and you took the decision without holding any consultation and spoilt the environment there," he said.
Yadav said there was no matter of mining for which the action was taken.
"The government will act against all those who act against goodwill and brotherhood or try to spoil the environment by of their work," he added, while rubbishing reports that the government acted tough only because it was a matter of illegal mining.
"If you look at the record of last two to three months then you will come to know that truck and machines were caught. We are also desirous that illegal mining should not take place," he added.