Giant killer in Assembly polls no stranger to controversy

Sacked Food and Supplies Minister Asim Ahmed Khan, who emerged as a giant killer in 2015 Delhi Assembly polls, is not new to controversy.

The Rs 6-lakh bribe allegedly taken by the Matia Mahal legislator from a builder in the Walled City has proved to be his undoing in just eight months after he took oath of office.

Khan has claimed that he has not done any wrongdoing but Kejriwal’s decision to distance himself from the controversy speaks volumes about his weak defence.
Allegations of wrongdoings in the recent purchase of onions from Maharashtra and their sale at a an inflated price in the city by Khan’s food and supplies department had also raised political heat. 

Earlier he was accused of shielding alleged killers of a motorcyclist in a road rage incident that took place in Turkman Gate.

The Turkman Gate road rage incident sparked a controversy when a poster having photographs of Khan and a local who the opposition alleged to be involved in the killing of 38-year-old Shahnawaz.

Former Matia Mahal MLA Shoaib Iqbal from Congress alleged that people involved in murdering Shahnawaz were AAP workers and Khan was using his connections to protect them from police.

The allegations were denied by Khan. But the Delhi BJP unit head Satish Upadhyay staged a protest demading removal of the MLA from Aam Aadmi Party.

Last month, the AAP government courted controversy over the procurement of onions with the oppositon demanding a probe by an independent agency.
The Delhi BJP unit had said that the role of the ‘purchase committee’ members constituted by the Delhi government for the procurement of onions too needed to be investigated.

Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia while clearing the air on the alleged onion scam said that the minister concerned would come out with a public statement if the need arose.

Khan, who also headed the environment department, was allegedly caught napping by the National Green Tribunal on the issue of preventing polluting trucks from entering the city.

The alleged poor representation of the Delhi government in matters related to air quality and Yamuna pollution had also added to Kejriwal’s growing displeasure over Khan’s performance in the cabinet, sources said.
Khan emerged as the giant killer in the 2015 Delhi Assembly polls defeating the sitting five-time MLA Shoaib Iqbal from Matia Mahal.
Ahmed scored over 47,000 votes while Iqbal, who contested elections from the Congress, managed to get some 21,000 votes.
DH News Service