Don’t know anyone by name of Shehzad Poonawalla: Tehseen disowns his own brother

Tehseen Poonawalla, Shehzad Poonawalla’s older brother, disowned his brother saying he didn’t anyone by that name.

He said: “First of all, I don't know anyone by the name of Shehzad Poonawalla. Me, my wife & my mother are no longer associated with this gentleman. Any questions he had could have been raised legitimately in forum within the 'maryada' & 'daayra' of the party.”

Tehseen Poonawalla, brother of Maharashtra Congress Secretary Shehzad Poonawalla, on Monday came out in support of party vice president Rahul Gandhi, saying his entire family wanted him to lead the party.

Speaking to ANI, Tehseen said, "I would like to clarify that me and my family are completely with Shri Rahul Gandhi and the Congress Party. We want Rahul Gandhi to take over as the leader of the party."

Tehseen further said that the Poonawalla family had cut off their relationship with his brother Shehzad.

"We have cut off all our family ties with Shezad; he is no longer a part of our family. We would just say if he had any issues with Congress, he should have raised it in the inter-party forum rather than the media," said Tehseen.

However, Shehzad Poonawalla, who had called out the party's president election 'rigged', called the entire procedure to be a coronation.

"I have objection with this election procedure which is rather a coronation. I would like to tell Rahul to ask his people to wait with a crown and coronate him as soon as he reaches the place," said Shehzad.

Shehzad also expressed his concern regarding the presentation of a dummy candidate in the election procedure.

"As per my sources, Congress will take support of a dummy candidate, so the entire procedure seems like an election. I think people shouldn't be deceived," added Shehzad.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday took a dig at Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on his unopposed nomination to the post of party chief, saying that such an election was only possible in a feudal setup.

Speaking to ANI, Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi congratulated Rahul for ‘promotion without performance’

‘I congratulate Rahul Gandhi for his promotion without performance. This can only be possible in a feudal setup. I fully know that the way Congress is in ventilator, Rahul Gandhi standing in elevator will not do anything different. He failed in all the exams,’ Naqvi said.

Earlier in the day, Rahul filed his nomination papers for the post of party chief at the All India Congress Committee (AICC) headquarters here.

The election, if necessary, will be held on December 16.

If elected, Rahul will succeed his mother Sonia, who has been holding the post for nearly two decades.

Rahul Gandhi on Monday filed his nomination papers for the post of party chief at the All India Congress Committee (AICC) headquarters in Delhi.