A Labour MP, who once claimed to be a spokesperson for the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, has apologised for “threatening” a pregnant woman.
Tulip Siddiq, MP for Hampstead and Kilburn has risen to media prominence in recent weeks petitioning for the release of British born Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, currently being detained in Iran.
Siddiq has however remained tight-lipped about the fate of British-trained barrister Ahmad bin Quasem, abducted by government agents in Bangledesh last August.
It’s time @TulipSiddiq used her influence with her aunt – who is the Prime Minister of Bangladesh – to help free a British citizen who was kidnapped by force for no legitimate reason by her aunts regime – rather than threatening journalists who appeal to her to make a call
— Nadine Dorries (@NadineDorries) 29 November 2017
The issue was the centre of an investigation by Channel 4, who questioned why Siddiq hasn’t petitioned her aunty, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, into releasing Quasem.
Confronted by Channel 4 with blogs by Siddiq, which told of how she learnt politics from Hasina, Siddiq began implying the line of questioning was racist.
Siddiq refused to answer why she wasn’t willing to help – instead accusing the journalist of instituting she was from Bangladesh.
Lesson to @TulipSiddiq – implying a respectable journalist (in this case @alextomo is racist to avoid answering uncomfortable questions is NOT a good look. The questions were entirely reasonable. Shameful. #labour not so kind or gentle – apparently. #channel4news
— Robert Davidson (@robdavidson74) 28 November 2017
Siddiq, who calls herself “little and feisty” on twitter, lived up to form by then telling a pregnant Channel 4 producer: “I hope you have a great birth, because child labour is hard.”
Fiesty Siddiq was then ushered away before quipping at the journalist questioning her, to be “very careful.”
In a statement after the event, feisty Siddiq, who is also a member of the Woman Equalities select committee, said sorry for her threatening language towards the woman.
Disgraceful. When @TulipSiddiq is questioned about human rights abuses in Bangladeshi she attempts to accuse @alextomo of racism. Shameful. #c4news
— John Peters (@johnthejack) 28 November 2017
She said: “I want to apologise unreservedly for my comments to Channel 4’s producer, which were an off-hand and ill-judged attempt to deal with what I felt was a hostile situation. I would never want to upset her and I hope she accepts my apology.
“The fact that some members of my family are involved in politics in Bangladesh has long been a matter of public record which I have not hidden from. That said, I have no capability nor desire to influence politics in Bangladesh.”
Fiesty Siddiq did not comment on whether she would now be stepping down her efforts against the Iranian government, in a bid not to look hypocritical.
Interesting. pic.twitter.com/3GS1uycSrs
— Товарищ McПравда (@celloveck) 29 November 2017