Abdul Rehman Antulay, who died on Tuesday, aged 85, was known for his quick decision-making. A politician who stoked controversy, He also introduced several innovative measures as Maharashtra CM.
A Congress veteran and the first Muslim Chief Minister of Maharashtra (June 1980 to January 1982), he was forced to quit by the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in the wake of ‘Cement scandal’.
He was accused of forcing builders to contribute, albeit through cheques, to the Indira Gandhi Pratibha Pratishtan, a trust he had set up, allegedly in exchange for quotas for cement, which was then a controlled commodity.
Antulay had sparked outrage after the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks by demanding a probe into the killing of Mumbai Anti-Terrorism Squad chief Hemant Karkare, alleging a conspiracy by Hindu radicals connected to the Malegaon blast case.
He was minority affairs minister in the Manmohan Singh-led UPA-I government. In the 2009 Lok Sabha Polls he lost to Anant Geete.
“Delays in implementation of decisions were not acceptable to him. He was instrumental in initiating the Sanjay Gandhi Niradhar Yojana, monthly financial aid to destitute and poor people and also MLA pension. Similarly, the housing facilities for MLAs in Mumbai was also his brain child,” a Congress leader said.
He started his career as a social worker in 1945. His notable achievements include construction of a jetty on the bank of Savitri river, Bankot Creek through local people offering free labour to complete the task.
