New DelhiAugust 27, 2025 10:55 AM IST
First published on: Aug 27, 2025 at 10:55 AM IST
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In a recent interview with Mojo Story on his memoir, veteran journalist, founder of Urdu magazine Nai Duniya, and former MP Shahid Siddiqui claimed that Congress leader Ahmed Patel had pressured him to not publish a 2012 interview with then Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi on the 2002 riots.
He added that Ahmed eventually pushed the SP leadership to expel him – he was the organisation’s general secretary and Rajya Sabha member at this point – and that the party took action against him on the day the interview was printed.
Congress spokesperson Surendra Rajpoot said Ahmed Patel was “a tall and influential leader of the party”.
On the allegations about Patel regarding the interview, he said: “Freedom of expression is part of the Congress. Congress MPs freely criticised (former PM) Jawaharlal Nehru ji and he tolerated that.”
Siddiqui, 74, speaks to The Indian Express about the interview, the responses to it, and his memoir I Witness India from Nehru to Narendra Modi.
Excerpts:
* What was that interview with Narendra Modi and what was your interaction with Ahmed Patel about it?
That (the interview) was a scoop for me because Modi ji had never spoken in detail about the Gujarat riots (2002) before that interview. A day after the interview was recorded in Gandhinagar, Ahmedbhai Patel, who was very influential in the Congress at that time, came to meet me at midnight. He asked me to not print that interview.
But I insisted on carrying the interview. Then he said that I will have to face trouble… that my party (the SP) can take action against me. The SP had just won a majority in Uttar Pradesh (in 2012).
In that interview, Modi said, ‘Agar main gunahgaar hoon, toh mujhe faansi pe latka do (If I am responsible, hang me)’. I asked him questions about relief camps and other incidents during the riots.
I was removed from the SP on the day the interview appeared. Later, I came to know that Ahmed bhai had called Mulayam Singh Yadav (SP founder) and Amar Singh (senior SP leader) to expel me from the party because I was causing damage to them (the Congress) in Gujarat. However, my purpose was to bring the truth to the fore. And I had not done the interview in support of Modi ji. I believe that it is my responsibility to present the opinion of the person I disagree with.
* The BJP is referencing the episode to accuse the Congress of suppressing freedom of expression… How do you see this?
It (suppression) happens in every period… during the Emergency too. Several attempts were made to mount pressure on The Indian Express as well; its electricity supply was cut. By referring to what happened with me, the BJP cannot justify what is happening with the media at present. One mistake does not justify another mistake. Ahmed bhai had made a request to me. He did not send me to jail.
He made a request and I turned it down. He gave me a political punishment. That was political pressure.
After the Emergency, I believe that the media has never been under as much pressure as it is today. The entire world is saying this. The media today is no longer the voice of the common people.
* Does this incident appear in your memoir?
That is just one page of the book. I did not highlight that. The media is raising this issue. That book is about my journey with all Prime Ministers. I believe that every PM has contributed to building this nation. Everyone has made mistakes too. I was the one who resigned in 2008 (from the SP) when the nuclear deal happened (the SP backed the UPA government on the issue). I did not find the nuclear deal in the interest of the nation.
* You have been with the Congress, SP, BSP and RLD. You criticised those parties and quit in the past. But senior leaders from these parties attended your book’s release this month.
I still have good personal relations with Akhilesh ji (SP president Akhilesh Yadav), Rahul and Priyanka (Gandhi from the Congress). But there could be ideological differences. I keep personal and ideological relations separate. This is democracy.
* The Bihar Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise is receiving a lot of criticism. What is your take on it?
The BJP has a problem with Muslim votes and attempts to disenfranchise Muslims have been made since they came to power. SIR is a part of that. I have not studied the deleted names… But if the Opposition is saying that Muslims’ names are being deleted more, the media should investigate that.