Khurshid Ahmed was born to Chaudhary Kabir Ahmed and Faizan Begum. After independence, his father was twice elected to Haryana assembly.[3]
Personal life
Khurshid Ahmed married Firdos Begum in 1961. He had three sons and one daughter – Aftab Ahmed, Mehtab Ahmed, Anjum Ahmed and Rukhsana. Aftab Ahmed was elected as MLA from Nuh constituency on the ticket of Congress Party and is a former Cabinet Minister in the Government of Haryana.[5] He was also the Vice-President of Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee. Mehtab Ahmed is practicing lawyer, while youngest son Anjum Ahmed is Practicing lawyer in High Court of Punjab & Haryana.[3]
Political career
He was elected to the state assembly five times and twice and represented the Faridabad constituency once, Lok Sabha from the Lokdal party as well.[3][6][7][8][9][10]
The 1993 Mewat riots in the southern region of Haryana's Gurgaon district (modern-day Nuh district) erupted following the demolition of the Babri Masjid, triggering violence between the region's Meo Muslim community and Hindus. The unrest began on December 7, 1992, after rumors spread that Hindus in Nuh were celebrating the mosque's demolition, leading to Muslim mobs attacking Hindu temples in Nuh, Punhana, and Pinangwan. [13]
The violence, reportedly instigated by Khurshid Ahmed, involved hired youth who ransacked and burned temples, and even committed atrocities like burning a cow alive. The police's delayed response escalated tensions, resulting in indiscriminate raids and alleged abuses against the Meo community, with many villagers fleeing their homes.[13]
Tayyab Husain, and his son Zakir Hussain, who was an MLA from the neighboring Taoru constituency, were also implicated by some in the Muslim community. They were political rivals of Khurshid Ahmed and were accused of exploiting the situation to expand their influence among the Meos.[13]
Politicians Khurshid Ahmed and his son, Aftab Ahmed, were booked for instigating the riots and went into hiding, while former home minister Tayyab Hussain and his son Zakir Hussain, an MLA from Taoru, were accused by some of exploiting the situation for political gain. Both communities were left distrustful of the police, who were widely criticized for their handling of the situation, and the region, previously peaceful, was deeply scarred by the violence.[13]
Unconstitutional Political Corruption Incident with Indira Gandhi
The controversies surrounding Khurshid Ahmed, as outlined in Maloy Krishna Dhar's account from the book "Open Secrets," depict a narrative of political manipulation and secret illegal operations. Allegations suggest his involvement in orchestrating events to undermine the electoral success of Devi Lal, a prominent political figure. One instance detailed is the facilitation of a meeting between Indira Gandhi and Devi Lal, despite the Devi Lal's initial reluctance. Ahmed's role in what was termed as 'Operation Harit' involved persuading Haryana's Legislative Assembly members to defect to the Indira Congress.[14]
Khurshid Ahmed and others reportedly took "one million to five million" rupees each to engage in this political corruption according to Maloy Krishna Dhar's own testimony.[14]