As the chief minister, he was also given to making surprise visits during odd hours to check whether law enforcement agencies were on their toes.

However, Antulay’s troubles truly began when he established a trust — the Indira Gandhi Pratibha Pratisthan — and was accused of collecting funds by misusing his office. It was the era of the ‘Licence Raj’ and Antulay was found to have favoured the donors by allotting cement quotas, which were under government control. The issue blew up into a major controversy and led to litigation. The court found him guilty and he was forced to quit.

Meanwhile, his supporters alleged a conspiracy by Maratha and Hindu fundamentalists to remove him from power because he was a Muslim. After Antulay was ousted from office, the Congress, in a bid to give a Maratha face to the state’s top job, appointed little-known Babasaheb Bhosale as the chief minister in January 1982.

But even before he became chief minister of Maharashtra, Antulay had found himself at the centre of a controversy when he made an objection to his car being checked by the police at Wadkhal Naka between Alibaug and Mumbai. He was a state minister at the time of the incident.

He is known to have sought attention through his bizarre statements in the past and continues to do so. His fresh outbursts — which have left the UPA Government embarrassed — are viewed by some observers as his attempt to consolidate his position among the minorities.

... contd.