RLD vice president Shahid Siddiqui resigns from party over alliance with BJP
says ‘remaining silent is a sin’
New Delhi, Apr 1: Rashtriya Lok Dal vice president Shahid Siddiqui on Monday announced that he has resigned from his post and the party’s primary membership, saying the Constitution and democratic structure are under threat and remaining silent is a sin.
Siddiqui's move comes days after the RLD joined the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
“Yesterday I sent my resignation from the membership of the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) and the post of national vice president to national president Jayant Singh. Today, when India's Constitution and democratic structure are under threat, remaining silent is a sin,” he said in a post on X.
“I am grateful to Jayant ji but I am forced to distance myself from the RLD with a heavy heart. India's unity, integrity, development and brotherhood are dear to all. It is the responsibility and duty of every citizen to save it,” he added.
He discussed the timing of his move in another post, saying he didn’t want to resign immediately as he welcomes the Bharat Ratna accorded to Chaudhry Charan Singh Ji.
“I didn’t want to be seen opposing it. Secondly, the attack on elected Chief Ministers and Opposition parties when elections have been announced is an attack on Indian democracy and the great institutions that we have built,” he added.
The RLD has declared its candidates for two seats in Uttar Pradesh for the coming Lok Sabha elections.
आज सवाल किसी एक दल का नहीं भारत के लोकतंत्र और राज धर्म को सुरक्षित करने का है । मैं भाजपा के नेताओं से भी बिनती करूँगा की आप अटल जी के राज धर्म को बचाने के लिए आगे आयें ।🙏 pic.twitter.com/GHJnrNGoPP
— shahid siddiqui (@shahid_siddiqui) April 1, 2024
Respected Jayantji,
— shahid siddiqui (@shahid_siddiqui) April 1, 2024
We have worked together for 6 long years and have respect for each other. I, for one, look upon you more as a younger brother than a colleague. We have stood shoulder to shoulder on significant issues and at creating an atmosphere of brotherhood and respect…
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Syria says Israeli strikes leave 18 dead in the biggest toll since the war in Gaza began
Masyaf (Syria), Sep 9: The number of people killed in overnight Israeli strikes in Syria has risen to 18 with dozens more wounded, Syria's health minister said on Monday — the largest death toll in such an attack since the beginning of the war in Gaza.
One of the sites targeted was a research centre used in the development of weapons, a war monitor said. Syrian officials said civilian sites were targeted.
Israel regularly targets military sites in Syria linked to Iran and the Lebanese group Hezbollah. Those strikes have become more frequent as Hezbollah has exchanged fire with Israeli forces for the past 11 months against the backdrop of Israel's war against Hamas — a Hezbollah ally — in Gaza.
However, the intensity and death toll of Sunday night's strikes were unusual.
There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military. Israel has carried out hundreds of strikes on targets inside government-controlled parts of war-torn Syria in recent years, but it rarely acknowledges or discusses the operations. The strikes often target Syrian forces or Iranian-backed groups.
Israel has vowed to stop Iranian entrenchment in Syria, particularly since Syria is a key route for Iran to send weapons to Hezbollah.
Israeli strikes hit several areas in central Syria, damaging a highway in Hama province and sparking fires, Syrian state news agency SANA said.
Speaking to reporters, Syrian Health Minister Hassan al-Ghabbash described the strikes as a “brutal and barbaric aggression”. He said the death toll had risen to 18 with nearly 40 wounded.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based war monitor, said 25 were killed, including at least five civilians, while the others included Syrian army soldiers and members of Hezbollah and other Iran-linked armed groups.
One strike targeted a scientific research centre in Masyaf, and others struck sites where “Iranian militias and experts are stationed to develop weapons in Syria”, the observatory said. It said the research centre was reportedly used for developing weapons, including short- and medium-range precision missiles and drones.
Minister of Electricity Mohammad al-Zamel said the strikes had caused “truly significant” damage to water and electricity infrastructure.
“This brutal attack targeted civilian targets, and the martyrs were mostly civilians, as were the wounded,” he said.
Local media also reported strikes around the coastal city of Tartous, which the observatory said were the result of air defense missiles falling.
On Monday afternoon, a charred car remained at the scene of one strike and smoke was still rising from some spots where fires had been put out.
