Bhubaneswar: The Congress on Monday launched a scathing attack on Health & Family Welfare Minister Mukesh Mahaling, accusing him of securing education and a government job using a fraudulent caste certificate.
Odisha Congress spokesperson Abhishek Mahananda alleged that Mahaling’s sub-caste was only included in the Scheduled Caste (SC) category in 2002 through a Presidential order, raising questions about the validity of his earlier claims.
Addressing a presser, Mahananda demanded an explanation on how Mahaling obtained the caste certificates he submitted during his schooling, college admissions, and government employment. He further claimed that the Sambalpur RDC had summoned the Minister to clarify his position, but Mahaling failed to appear before authorities.
The Congress leader also condemned Mahaling’s use of unparliamentary language in the Assembly recently, witnessed by Speaker Surama Padhy and the public.
“If Mahaling secured his caste certificate fraudulently, it constitutes a criminal offense,” Mahananda asserted, alleging that the Minister deprived genuine Dalit beneficiaries of government benefits.
Before entering politics, Mahaling worked as an environmental scientist. He was later elected as an MLA from Loisingha in Balangir district.
