Syed Shahabuddin quits Congress party

New Delhi, May 10: Former MP Syed Shahabuddin today announced his dissociation from the Congress, but vowed to work for the defeat of the communal forces hostile to secularism and social justice.

A member of the Indian Foreign Service (Retd), Mr Shahabuddin, in a statement here, said he had joined the Congress in 2004 "voluntarily and unconditionaly".

"Three years later, I realised that the party has no use for me, ,while I had lost my freedom and felt shackled in reacting to political developments,"he said. "So on March 29, 2007 I wrote to Congress President Sonia Gandhi seeking her permission to dissociate myself from the party in order to regain my freedom of expression." "I received no response. Then came the UP Assembly election.

To me it would have been politically immoral to announce my break at that juncture." he said, adding "Now that the UP election is over, I have decided to inform the people, my community and my political friends about where I stand." Mr Shahabuddin, who is President of the All India Muslim Majlis -e-Mushawarat, recalled that ever since he had lost election to the Lok Sabha in 1996 as an Independent, he had more or less retired from active politics. "On the eve of the General Election 2004, he felt the inner urge to re-enter the political arena to participate in the epic battle against the resurgent forces of communalism." "So on April 2004, I voluntarily and unconditionally joined the Congress and canvassed for it to defeat the BJP, "he said in the statement.

UNI

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