Maharashtra Education Minister Bachchu Kadu. Minister of State for Education Bachchu Kadu on Monday disguised himself as a Muslim man and moved around Akola district, of which he is the guardian minister, to review the functioning of government offices. He also visited a couple of shops selling gutkha illegally.
Dressed in a white pathani suit and donning a skull cap, Kadu – posing as a person named Yusuf Pathan – visited several government offices in Akola city. He first visited the Akola Municipal Corporation, where he participated in an agitation organised by his own party, Prahar Janshakti Paksh.
He then went to a few pan shops and sought to buy gutkha, which is banned in the state. In Patur, Kadu purchased gutkha worth Rs 9,000 from two shops and video recorded the act. After the purchase was completed, he summoned the local authorities and legal action was initiated against the shopowners.
Kadu then visited a tehsil office for getting a ration card made and offered to pay a bribe. He did the same at a cooperative bank, offering the manager a bribe to sanction agricultural loans. Both officials, however, declined his offer. Kadu later in the day felicitated the bank official.
Kadu, the lone MLA of Prahar Janshakti Paksh, which supports the Maha Vikas Aghadi government, is a recognised face in Maharashtra.
While it was surprising that many people pretended not to recognise him, Kadu claimed that the face mask and his changed demeanour allowed him to hide his identity.
“I wanted to check how the government machinery is functioning and whether any illegal activity or corruption is taking place. While gutkha selling is the worst thing that I came across today, I also met some honest shopkeepers and government officials,” Kadu said.
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