Author: Navin Upadhyay/ New Delhi
Publication: The Pioneer
Date: May 28, 2004
As if the tainted history-sheets
of the past were not enough, controversial Union Minister of State for
Food and Agriculture Mohammad Taslimuddin could also land in trouble for
making false declarations before the Election Commission.
In the affidavit filed before the
commission along with his nomination paper prior to the polls, Mr Taslimuddin
had disclosed he was facing nine cases while suppressing seven others.
In the nine cases admitted by him
that various courts have taken cognisance of, Mr Taslimuddin is charged
with attempt to murder to committing suicide. He is also facing charges
of illegal confinement, communal assault, theft, assault and extortion.
But the strongman from Bihar's Kishanganj,
who defeated the BJP's Muslim face, Sayeed Shanawaj Hussain, in the Lok
Sabha polls, has made no mention of seven such cases of serious offenses
which are punishable with imprisonment of seven years or more.
The first of these cases titled
State vs Taslimuddin and Others was lodged on April 4, 1996 in Araria.
Charges involved rioting, being armed with deadly weapons, kidnapping,
attempt to murder and criminal intimidation.
Mr Taslimudduin faces similar charges
in the second case (Araria GR 172/1986). Cognisance was taken of the third
case (Araria GR/1639/96) against him in August
23, 1999, for attempt to murder,
rioting and illegal possession of deadly arms. The fourth case ( Araria
GR/176/1986) implicating the RJD MP in "attempt to murder" and titled Mandal
vs Md Taslimuddin, has now been transferred to a Purnia court. Mr Taslimuddin
has suppressed yet another case (Araria GR 335) in which he faces charges
of cheating, forgery of valuable securities and criminal conspiracy. In
the sixth case (Araria GR 655/1982), Mr Taslimuddin faces charges of attempting
to commit suicide.
The seventh case (133/82) was also
lodged against him in Araria. In a landmark judgement on May 2, 2002, the
Supreme Court had called for "appropriate steps for disclosure of criminal
cases pending and in which the candidate has been charged to be disclosed
as the people had the right to information". In keeping with the spirit
of the judgement, the Election commission of India made it mandatory for
candidates to disclose their criminal antecedents. Mr Taslimuddin's favourite
pastime is drama and Quwalli and likes kabaddi and wrestling as sports.
This has been officially mentioned
in the biographical sketch of the Members of the Lok Sabha. he Minister
of State in the Manmohan Singh Government, however, has no formal education.
His bio-data says that he is a BA (Maulvi). In the sworn affidavit filed
before the returning officer of the Kishanganj parliamentary constituency,
he declared himself as literate in the column seeking education qualification
but left blank the one that required him to give the name of his school,
college and university.
