RLD Leader Resigns Over Party's Controversial BJP Alliance, Citing Compromised Values and Threats to Democracy
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Senior RLD leader Shahid Siddiqui resigned from the party over its recent alliance with the BJP, saying remaining silent would be a sin.
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Siddiqui was RLD's national vice president and had joined the party in 2016. He is the first senior leader to quit after the RLD joined the NDA last month.
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In his resignation letter, Siddiqui said the RLD's values of defending democracy and constitutional institutions were compromised by partnering with the BJP-led NDA.
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He said the BJP's recent "attacks" on elected chief ministers and opposition parties amounted to an attack on democracy itself.
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Siddiqui has a long political career, having been associated with the Congress, SP and BSP in the past before joining the RLD. He contested Lok Sabha elections twice but lost.