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Assam MLA didn’t pass Class 12th exam, RTI query reveals
A case has already been filed against Barbhuiyan in Gauhati High Court and the court will hear the case on August 4.
All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) MLA from Assam’s Sonai constituency, Karimuddin Barbhuiyan is under scanner for allegedly faking his educational qualification, HT has learnt.
In his affidavit submitted to the Election Commission of India before this year’s assembly election, Barbhuiyan claimed that he graduated from Choudhury Charan Singh University, Meerut in 2019. In the 2016 election, he claimed to have cleared the higher secondary examination in 1987 and passed an engineering diploma in 1990.
Responding to an RTI query, Assam Higher Secondary Education Council (AHSEC) revealed that Karimuddin Barbhuiyan appeared for the Class 12th examination in 1987 but did not pass. A case has already been filed against Barbhuiyan in Gauhati High Court and the court will hear the case on August 4.
Barbhuiya won the assembly election this year from the Sonai constituency of Cachar district under the AIUDF banner. He also contested the same constituency in 2016 but was defeated by BJP’s Aminul Haque Laskar. In 2016, while submitting the nomination, he revealed that he passed the higher secondary examination in 1987 and completed a diploma in engineering in 1990. But this year, the details of his higher education changed and he said that he graduated from Choudhury Charan Singh University, Meerut, in 2019.
Supporters of former BJP MLA and former deputy speaker of Assam assembly Aminul Haque Laskar filed several RTIs regarding Barbhuiyan’s educational qualification. In response to two back-to-back RTIs regarding his higher secondary education, it was revealed that Barbhuiya failed to pass the class 12 examination in 1987.
He was enrolled with the Guru Charan College, Silchar for appearing in the examination. An RTI was filed to the college and the college authority in response said that they don’t have Karimuddin Barbhuiyan’s records except for his roll number. With the help of the roll number, another RTI was filed to Assam Higher Secondary Education Council (AHSEC), and in response, the council stated that as per records available with the Council, Karimuddin Barbhuiyan failed that year.
Aminul Haque Laskar moved to the Election Commission of India before this year’s assembly election but the ECI didn’t pay much attention to it. Karimuddin Barbhuiyan was allowed to contest and defeated Aminul Haque Laskar after securing more than 70,000 votes. Later, Aminul went to the Gauhati High Court and filed a case against Karimuddin Barbhuiyan for faking documents. The court has asked both Aminul and Karimuddin to appear for a hearing on August 4.
Aminul Haque said, “In his affidavit, Karimuddin Barbhuiyan has revealed that he has completed his Graduation in 2019 from Choudhury Charan Singh University. But responding to an RTI, the university has said that Karimuddin Barbhuiya’s name isn’t there among students who graduated in 2019. In fact, he mentioned that he has completed his graduation in distance education mode, but the university does not have a distance education facility. Similarly, his engineering diploma is fake because the institute from where he passed, doesn’t exist. Now, Assam Higher Secondary Education Council is saying that he never passed the 12th class examination. So how can he became a graduate?”
Aminul Haque demanded Barbhuiyan’s resignation. He said, “Assam Assembly is a holy place where legends like Gopinath Bardoloi have worked. There were highly educated MLAs and also there were MLAs with less education. But there was never a person who faked his educational qualification. Karimuddin Barbhuiyan has insulted the state assembly. In past, strict actions were taken against MLAs in Manipur and some other states for similar activities. I think Karimuddin Barbhuiyan should resign himself accepting his crime before Gauhati High Court takes the move.”
Karimuddin Barbhuiya however didn’t try to defend himself and said he will prove his side in court. Talking to Hindustan Times, he said, “Former deputy speaker Aminul Haque Laskar is trying to defame me because I defeated him in the election. He has done that in the past and I am not surprised that he is doing it again. The matter is in Court and I will present my side with all the documents on the day of the hearing. I believe in the court and I am sure justice will be provided,”
