The Honourable
Chaudhary Rahim Khan
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चौधरी रहीम खां
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Official portrait, 1984
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| Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha | |
| In office 31 December 1984 – 18 December 1987 | |
| Preceded by | Tayyab Husain |
| Succeeded by | Khurshid Ahmed |
| Constituency | Faridabad |
| Minister of Power, Government of Haryana | |
| In office 23 May 1982 – 31 December 1984 | |
| Additional Ministry and Departments |
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| Minister of State, Government of Haryana | |
| In office 24 March 1967 – 12 May 1968 | |
| Ministry and Departments |
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| Member of the Haryana Legislative Assembly | |
| In office 23 May 1982 – 31 December 1984 | |
| Preceded by | Sardar Khan |
| Constituency | Nuh |
| In office 11 March 1972 – 8 August 1974 (overturned) | |
| Preceded by | Khurshid Ahmed |
| Constituency | Nuh |
| In office 21 February 1967 – 12 May 1968 | |
| Preceded by | Constituency established |
| Constituency | Nuh |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1923-02-01)1 February 1923 Punhana, Punjab Province, British India (present-day Haryana, India) |
| Died | 18 December 1987(1987-12-18) (aged 64) New Delhi, India |
| Political party | Indian National Congress |
| Relations | Sardar Khan (brother) |
| Children | 7, including Habib Ur Rehman (son), Mohammad Ilyas (son) |
| Parent | Shri Nawaz Khan (father) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  British India |
| Branch/service |  British Indian Army |
| Years of service | 1941 – 1945 |
| Rank |  Havildar |
| Battles/wars | |
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Chaudhary Rahim Khan (pronounced [rəɦiːm xãː] ⓘ; 1 February 1923 – 18 December 1987) was an Indian politician, who served as a Member of Parliament representing the Faridabad constituency in the Lok Sabha, the lower house of the Indian Parliament.[1] He died before he was to complete his term as Member of Parliament.[2] He served as the Minister of Power and Irrigation, Waqf, and Fisheries in the Government of Haryana and was also elected as a Member of the Haryana Legislative Assembly three times.[3]
Chaudhary Rahim Khan was born to Shri Nawaz Khan on 1 February 1923. He was born in the village of Sultanpur-Punahana in modern-day Haryana. He was an ethnic Meo. He was an agriculturist as well as a political and social worker. He had served formerly as a member of the armed forces of India as a Havildar clerk (equivalent to a sergeant), where he was rendered overseas in the Burma Campaign during World War II. He was also awarded a war medal for his service.[3]
He married Shrimati Budho and had 3 sons and 4 daughters. He is the patriarch of the Rahim Khan Clan, one of the most prominent political dynasties in the Mewat regionofHaryana. Two of his notable sons are Chaudhary Habib Ur Rehman and Chaudhary Mohammad Ilyas both of whom inherited his political legacy.
His brother Chaudhary Sardar Khan served as a Member of Legislative Assembly from the Nuh constituency and worked as the Minister of State for Home Affairs in the Government of Haryana (1977–1982).[4]
Chaudhary Rahim Khan started his political career as the Sarpanch from the Gram PanchayatofSultanpur-Punahana in 1953. He was later elected as the Panchayat Samiti ChairmanofPunahana in 1965. Following this, in 1967, he contested and won the first-ever Legislative Assembly Seat from the Nuh constituency, following the creation of Haryana State from Punjab in 1966. In this term he was appointed as the Deputy Minister for Technical Education and Waqf in the Government of Haryana. He was re-elected in 1972 and served his term till 1974 as his win was rendered officially invalid by the Supreme Court of India. In 1974, however, his brother, Chaudhary Sardar Khan, was elected and assumed his place. In 1982, he was elected to his final term in Haryana's Legislative Assembly, which lasted until 1984. During this time, he served as Haryana's Minister for Irrigation and Power, Waqf, and Fisheries.[3]
He then won the 1984 Lok Sabha Election from the Faridabad Lok Sabha constituency by a margin of 1,34,371 votes over the previous seat holder Tayyab Husain, receiving 53.1% of the total votes cast in the constituency that year. This was a momentous victory for Shri Rahim Khan, and it cemented his popularity among the people of Faridabad.[1]
It is also reported that the last Nawab of Pataudi, Mansoor Ali Khan, celebrated Chaudhary Rahim Khan on his historic victory against Husain with an elephant ride. [citation needed] Chaudhary Rahim Khan is also said to have a close friendship and political relationship with the Former Prime Minister of India, Rajiv Gandhi.
He later died before he was able to complete his term as Member of Parliament in the Lok Sabha. Then Governor of Haryana S.M.H Burney, Devi Lal, Bansi Lal, Bhajan Lal all expressed their grief on the passing of Khan. In 1987, Rajiv Gandhi also attended his funeral in the village of Sultanpur-Punahana. [5]
| # | From | To | Position | Party |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 1967 | 1968 | Member of Legislative Assembly from Nuh (1st term) | IND |
| 2. | 1972 | 1974 | Member of Legislative Assembly from Nuh (2nd term) | IND |
| 3. | 1982 | 1984 | Member of Legislative Assembly from Nuh (3rd term) | IND |
| 4. | 1984 | 1987 | Member of Parliament in the 8th Lok Sabha from Faridabad | INC |
Chaudhary Rahim Khan was the President of the All India Meo Sabha, which was responsible for uniting ethnic Meos that were scattered across Haryana, Rajasthan, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh, post independence.
His contribution to the Meo community is said to be extremely profound. He made demands for a universityinMewat, extension of railway lines to the Mewat regionofRajasthan and Haryana, as well as the recognition of the ethnic Meos as part of the Scheduled Tribes in India and granting them reservations accordingly due to their economically and educationally disadvantaged status in Indian society.[6]
He has also written the book "Writing the History of Meos" to preserve the culture of ethnic Meos.[6]
When Chaudhary Rahim Khan was elected for his second term in Haryana's Legislative Assembly in 1972, he defeated Khurshid Ahmed, who was a sitting minister at that time. Following this humiliating defeat, Khurshid Ahmed filed a case in the Punjab and Haryana High Court against Chaudhary Rahim Khan and challenged the election on various grounds of corrupt practices.
Chaudhary Rahim Khan was accused of the following under the Representation of the People Act, 1951:
The distribution of damaging handbills was crucial evidence in the case. The court found acceptable, direct, and circumstantial testimony that the handbills were distributed with the knowledge and consent of Chaudhary Rahim Khan, which led to the finding of corrupt practices. Hence, Chaudhary Rahim Khan was booked under sections 123(3) and (4) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 for appealing to voters' religion and character assassination of Khurshid Ahmed. However, the High Court dismissed the allegation of bribery under Section 123(1) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951.
Chaudhary Rahim Khan decided to appeal this case in the Supreme Court of India. The bench that heard the case consisted of Justice V. R. Krishna Iyer, Justice Bhagwati, P.N. and Justice Palekar, D.G. The court dismissed the appeal, however, the court judgement stated the following:
"The appellant, in this case, is less guilty than the 1st respondent depicts him but is less innocent than he professes." —Supreme Court of India, 'Rahim Khan vs Khurshid Ahmed and Ors' on 8 August, 1974 [7]
The court decided to favour the High Court judgement and officially overturned the 1972 election of Chaudhary Rahim Khan. He was booked under sections 123(3) and (4) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951. Chaudhary Rahim Khan's brother, Chaudhary Sardar Khan won the next Assembly seat from Nuh constituency after Khurshid in 1977. Despite this incident, Chaudhary Rahim Khan went on to have a successful political career, winning the subsequent Legislative Assembly term in 1982 from the Nuh constituency and went on to become a Member of Parliament in the Lok Sabha in 1984 from the Faridabad constituency.
This case is titled "Rahim Khan vs Khurshid Ahmed and Ors on 8 August, 1974" and still holds significant notability in Indian legal history and continues to be part of the curriculum in many Indian law schools to this day. [7]
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