A war of words is likely to erupt between BSP leader Mayawati and her erstwhile minister and confidant Naseemuddin Siddiqi, now in Congress, over the sanction given for the prosecution of an ex-official of the NPCC in the Taj corridor case. The alleged Rs 2175 crore scam dates back to 2002–2003, when Mayawati was the UP CM and Siddiqi was the irrigation minister. In June 2007, the then UP Governor had refused sanction to prosecute Mayawati, but the Supreme Court reopened the case in 2013. Siddiqi left the BSP prior to the 2017 UP Assembly election, levelling serious charges against Mayawati, and has been bitter towards her since then. Both are charged with corruption in the scam.
