http://www.hvk.org/2003/0903/256.html
Sources within the RJD say that Laloo getting alarmed and piqued at Mohd Shahabuddin's growing influence, gave the signal to Ojha to bring him to book. But to Laloo's chagrin, more than two dozen MLAs came out in his support and demanded the removal of Ojha.
The recent arrest order issued against controversial Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) member of parliament Md. Shahabuddin triggered an oft battle between the MP and DP Ojha, Director General of Police, Bihar. While the DGP wanted the MP to surrender in an old arrest warrant, the MP declared the move as Ojha's personal grudge against him since he had opposed his elevation to the DGP post. Ojha says that the MP is moving with impunity for 18 years, and if he is not arrested, the morale of police would take a beating. The wary, heavyweight MP has charged that Ojha's action is anti-Muslim.
Howsoever, Mohd Shahabuddin may defend himself but his criminal records cannot be overlooked after all. The don started oft as an extortionist aiming his guns at members of the CPI (ML).
On May 3, 1996, he allegedly attacked Siwan district superintendent of police, SK Singhal, who attempted to check his cavalcade of cars. Shahabuddin was alleged to be a mastermind behind the assassination of the former president of the JNU students union, Chandra Shekhar. At present 38 cases are pending against him while he has been exonerated in 14 cases.
The police chief has quickly reopened four of the pending cases ranging from kidnapping, assault on police officers and attempt to murder.
Chief judicial magistrate of Siwan Shushil Kumar Sinha passed an order on 8 August for attaching the property of Shahabuddin and other absconding accused in connection with the kidnapping case.
Talking to the media persons Mohd Shahabuddin retorted, "I am keeping my legal options open and nobody can declare me an absconder until I have gone through the legal process. I have full faith in the judiciary." He said that after a constant request from the Bihar chief minister Rabri Devi pleading his supporters to ask him to surrender "I made up my mind to surrender and respect the rule of law." Finally, the high-pitched duel came to an end when Shahabuddin surrounded by top guns and flood of his supporters, surrendered before the Siwan CJM on 13 August, though, the course to the surrender drama had its own melodramatic effect coupled with high tension and emotional scene.
On the other hand, the MP and his supporters claim that Ojha himself had been involved in wards ghotala (Police uniform scandal) and chara ghotala (Fodder scandal).
Vikram Kunwar, the former minister, queried why no action had been taken against Ojha even though six cases are pending against him in the said cases. Mr. Kunwar recalled that while Lalit Narayan Mishra, Union Railway Minister in the Indira Gandhi government, was killed in Samastipur, Ojha was the then superintendent of police of the district. He alleged that Ojha was involved in the murder and the case should be investigated by the CBI.
The encounter is seen less of a conflict between Mohd Shahabuddin and the DGP but more of a deteriorating relationship between the MP and RJD supremo Laloo Prasad Yadav. As such, the widening gap between the two has been noticed for years. The MP did not attend Laloo's much propagated Lathi rally in May this year. In the recent Zila Parishad and Legislative Council elections, Shahabuddin got his man elected defeating Prabhunath, brother of the chief minister from Gopalganj, the home district of Laloo.
Sources within the RJD say that Laloo getting alarmed and piqued at Mohd Shahabuddin's growing influence, gave the signal to Ojha to bring him to book. But to Laloo's chagrin, more than two dozen MLAs
came out in his support and demanded the removal of Ojha. Shahabuddin also asserted that a hundred MLAs were with him. Earlier, a heavy gun battle between the police and Shahabuddin's henchmen took place on 16 March 2001 at his native village Pratap Pur, in which the MP himself miraculously escaped unhurt but several lives were lost and casualties resulted in the process. Realizing the strength of Mohd Shahabuddin, Mr. Yadav tried to settle the dispute and hailed him as his younger brother.
The gun battle not only showed that Shahabuddin had a firm grip over the largely Muslim-dominated electorate in his constituency Siwan but also spurred the minorities in the state and signaled that the Muslim-Yadav unity was gradually weakening. The 36-year-old MP is also considered a strong pillar of Laloo's MY (Muslim-Yadav) empire in the state.
Now that Mohd Shahabuddin is cooling his heels behind bars, he has declared, "if it is proved that Laloo Prasad Yadav had a hand behind Ojha's action then the RJD would meet the same fate as the Congress after Bhagalpur riots."
Apart from criminal charges, Mohd Shahabuddin has another facet to his controversial personality. For common citizens, the MP has emerged as sort of a Robinhood. People in his constituency are generally happy with his style of functioning. "He is a real administrator, a peoples' MP and a person who brooks no nonsense," said Mohammad Saifullah Shafi.
In fact, it would be a grave injustice if Mohd Shahabuddin's social welfare works are not remembered. Since the last 13 years, he has taken up development projects in Siwan. Among a range of areas he has worked tirelessly, two fundamental areas seem to be more focused - Education and Health.
He has established Islamia Educational and Social Welfare Trust in Siwan. The trust has taken up major projects for educational and social development. 300 acres of land has been registered in the name of the trust, where a university is under construction. The university, with minority character, has almost all the major faculties and departments law, engineering, medicine, mass communication and others. So far five crore rupees has been spent on this project. To raise fund for the cause, Mohd Shahabuddin has traveled to different states of India and abroad. To ensure that the schools and colleges have proper infrastructure and an academic environment, he has used his MP LAD [Local Area Development] fund to good effect. He asserts that he wants to turn Siwan into a model constituency.
"HAMARA PRAYAS", an NGO, funded by the trust is working effectively in the district in various fields such as education, culture development, and healthcare. The MP has fixed the upper limit of doctors' consultation fee at Rs. 50. The move is benefiting the poor immensely. Besides, the doctors also treat the poor patients on all important festivals free of cost. The health committee runs generators with the help of local businessmen and provides regular supply to the hospitals. On the education front, the MP is doing commendable work. He has ensured that the teachers are present regularly at the schools and try to improve the educational standards. In the state of Bihar government teachers seldom attend the schools and hence the students suffer on this account. The students have words of praise for Mohd Shahabuddin and do not find themselves neglected and are being benefited.
A newspaper named after HAMARA PRAYAS is being published and trying to bring awareness in the society. Mohd Shahabuddin, who is a voracious reader, was awarded the doctorate degree on his thesis 'First Coalition Government' from Muzaffarpur University, Bihar.
Though Mohd Shahabuddin claims to influence the pattern of Muslim votes in Bihar but his work as a leader has been largely confined to his predominantly Muslim Siwan constituency. It is not gainsaying the fact that the gun battle which took place on 16 March 2001 raised the hackles of the minorities in the state and the move was seen as an onslaught on Muslims. However, as for now, the RJD chief Laloo Prasad Yadav has sought to downplay the arrest of Shahabuddin and tried to minimize the acrimony and anger generated among Muslims because of his arrest.
Recently, VHP leaders Praveen Togadia and Giriraj Kishore were promptly sent back to Delhi and not allowed to enter into the state capital Patna. The deft move of Yadav might have pleased Muslims to some extent but the stopping of communal riots and warding of tension is not their only concern. Growing lawlessness, kidnapping, murders, unemployment, neglect of Madrasahs, much-delayed salaries to minority teachers and step motherly treatment towards Urdu are some of the major factors which have made Muslims apprehensive in the state. Keeping Muslims on the right side would undoubtedly ensure the stability of his government. And, Laloo Prasad Yadav knows this only too well.
