NEWS
VIEWS
INTERVIEWS
CAMPAIGN TRAIL
ISSUES '98
MANIFESTOS
OVERHEARD
POLLING BOOTH
INDIA SPEAKS!
YEH HAI INDIA
CHAT

'Mohammed Shahabuddin should not contest poll'

Several prominent personalities including former Uttar Pradesh governor B Satyanarayana Reddy, social activists Swami Agnivesh and G R Khairnar have called for the disqualification of Mohammed Shahabuddin from contesting the Lok Sabha poll for his alleged involvement in a number of criminal cases.

In a letter to Chief Election Commissioner Dr M S Gill, they said Shahabuddin had allegedly masterminded the murders of former Jawaharlal Nehru University Students Union president Chandrashekhar and another Communist Party of India-Marxist-Leninst leader Shyam Narain Yadav on March 31, 1997, in Siwan. An enquiry was being conducted into the murders by the Central Bureau of Investigation.

Besides, there were a large number of murder, dacoity and abduction cases pending against him. His victims included police personnel and voters. Such a person with alleged criminal antecedents should not be allowed to contest the Lok Sabha poll, they said.

The other signatories to the letter included prominent social scientist Rajni Kothari, former Lok Sabha speaker Rabi Ray and CPI-ML politburo member Swadesh Bhattacharya.

Former Delhi high court chief justice Rajendra Sachar and senior Supreme Court advocate Prashant Bhushan also expressed the same view in a separate statement. They also apprehended violence during the poll in Siwan if he was allowed to contest.

UNI

Tell us what you think of this report