Maharashtra minister of state for school education Fauzia Khan has been dragged into a fresh controversy after photographs of her posing with dead animals were posted on the Internet. The Opposition has demanded her resignation. However, the minister she had not killed the animals, and that the photographs were taken in South Africa, where hunting is legal.
Ms Khan had visited South Africa six months ago. During her safari tour, she clicked photographs with animals that were hunted down, including a deer.
Alluding to former minister Dharmarao Baba Atram, who had to resign in 2009 for allegedly killing an endangered chinkara in Baramati, Shiv Sena leader Ramdas Kadam demanded a similar penalty for Ms Khan. “I have seen the photographs where she posed with dead animals. The rule that was applied to Mr Atram should also be applied to her; she should be asked to resign. The government should also initiate an investigation,” Mr Kadam said.
The minister said, “I visited South Africa six months ago. The dead animals with which I posed for pictures were killed by professional hunters. I did not kill those animals. Hunting is legal in South Africa.” The pictures were uploaded by Umlilo Safari, South Africa, on their site.
In June this year, Ms Khan was in the thick of another controversy when it was revealed that LeT operative Abu Jundal had stayed in a room in the MLA hostel in Mumbai which was allotted to her in 2009. Ms Khan had denied any link with the alleged terrorist. “There was no investigation into allegations of Ms Khan’s links with the terrorist. The government should order a probe into that case too,” Mr Kadam said.