Honesty and candidness made me popular, says former MP Mohammad Shahabuddin

Bihar, September 11: A day after he walked out of jail, RJD strongman and former MP Mohammad Shahabuddin said his honesty and candidness made him popular among people.“I enjoy mass support as people know that I never made money. I am neither a contractor, nor a businessman, reports tribuneindia.com.

I live in a small and ramshackle home in a village. I opened educational institutions for the youth to shape their career. Because of my good deeds, people have faith in me,” Shahabuddin told The Tribune.

People of Siwan gave a hero’s welcome to their “Saheb” Mohammad Shahabuddin, who was released from Bhagalpur jail after 11 years.

“I have delivered whatever I committed to people. I have mass support not only in Siwan, but in the entire state. They trust me because I have committed myself to their welfare.

”Shahabuddin claimed that he never paid any fee to lawyers since he had no money and had to sell his ancestral property to fulfil other needs.“If anyone claims that I demanded donations for elections, I will quit politics. Despite inability to spend, I never lost any poll,” he said.

Before completing his post-graduation in 1992, Shahabuddin said, he was elected as an Independent to the legislative Assembly from Jiradei, the home village of first President Dr Rajendra Prasad.People from the upper caste supported me against the CPI (ML) to save their interests of landed property in 1990s.

But communal divide has affected that support, he said.Talking about RJD chief Lalu Prasad, he said: “He is the only leader. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is a leader of circumstances.”

“When I was serving jail term, communal mobilisation took place in my district. Had I been outside the jail, I would have checked it,” he said.

“During my jail tenure, I have read several books, but Gandhian thoughts influenced me the most,” he said.Shahabuddin is facing at least 39 cases of murder, extortion, kidnapping etc. He was convicted for the first time in connection with a case got registered by the CPI (ML).