By TwoCircles.net Staff Reporter,
Solapur: The family of slain Mohsin Shaikh who was killed by Hindu Rashtra Sena members on 2nd June in Pune riots has got one more blow, this time not by the radical Hindutva elements but the Chief Minister of Maharashtra himself. Maharashtra CM Prithviraj Chavan has backtracked from his promise to provide a government job to Mohsin’s younger brother, the sole hope of his family.
Mohsin’s father Sadiq Shaikh along with his 21 year old son Mubeen Shaikh was running from pillar to post in the state Mantrayala since past three months hoping the fulfillment of promise made by Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan himself. But to their utter dismay the bureaucrats in Mantrayala rejected their application saying, “There is no policy to give job in your case.”
CM Prithviraj Chauhan, Mohsin’s brother and father.
Speaking with TwoCircles.net, Mr. Sadiq Shaikh said, “We were expecting job from the state government, as promised by Chief Minister himself on humanitarian ground as Mohsin was the victim of a ghastly crime,” adding sarcastically, “I didn’t know there is no policy for helping victim’s family.”
Elder Shaikh, who is suffering from diabetics and BP which got worse due to emotional trauma after his eldest son murder, points out that Mohsin was the only bread earner of their family; and hence they were pinning hope on his younger son and the promised job by the Government.
For the first time issue of job for Mohsin’s kin was raised by Solapur city MLA Pariniti Shinde daughter of former home minister Sushil Kumar Shinde. In a meeting facilitated by her between Chief Minister and Mohsin family, Mr. Prithviraj Chavan promised them a Government job and even signed their application giving remark to expedite process as soon as possible. He then forwarded that application to the General Administration Department through his personal secretary.
Till recently, on 18th August, when CM visited Sholapur for a Government function Mohsin family was again assured about the promise. “On two occasions Chief Minister of our state gave public assurance but despite of it our application was stuck with all delayed tactics,” Mr. Shaikh told TCN.
Despite having order and a sign of the CM, recommendation letters from MLA Pariniti Shinde, Education minister Fauziya Khan and Minorities Commission chairman Munaf Hakeem, the application was passing from one department to the other, from GAD to secretary committee, back to GAD then back to CM’s office.
Under Secretary Mr. A.D. Joshi in Mantrayala finally rejected the application and told Mohsin’s brother Mubeen that he doesn’t qualify in ‘Anukamapa’ category (under which state Government provides job to kin of the officer who died during his tenure).
When the aggrieved family pointed out that they never applied in that category and was expecting a job on humanitarian ground as CM directed, Mr. Sadiq Shaikh informed TCN that Mr. Joshi (Under Secretary in the Mantrayala) got irritated and told him, if they should make a special law for them.
When Shaikh reminded Mr. Joshi of CM’s assurances, he allegedly retorted, “CM himself rejected your application.”
Mohsin Shaikh (file photo)
When the shocked Mubeen asked for the reason Mr. Joshi said CM has been informed about non-existence of any policy to provide job to family members of person killed in communal crimes, adding, “CM told us ‘if there is no existing policy then there is no need to provide any job’, thus your application was rejected by CM himself.”
Mr. Joshi in turn advised Mohsin’s family to try their luck at Solapur Municipal Corporation or State RTC where local recommendations sometimes work.
Shocked on what they call betrayal of trust, Mohsin’s family again approached the local MLA’s home, who has promised to look into the matter only after returning to Solapur on 10th of this month.
With election code just around the corner and a likely change of guard in Mumbai after the election, Mohsin’s family is increasingly losing hope.