C. M. Ibrahim

Some Lesser Known Facts About C. M. Ibrahim

• Changaai Mangalote Ibrahim is an Indian politician who served as the president of Janata Dal (Secular) Karnataka. He was previously associated with the Indian National Congress (INC) and was a member of the Karnataka Legislative Council. He joined Janata Dal (Secular) and has been serving as its State President since 17 April 2022, until his dismissal.

• He grew up in the steel town of Bhadravathi in Shimoga district in Karnataka.

• C. M. Ibrahim’s political journey began in 1967 at the age of 12 when he was noticed by the former Chief Minister of Karnataka, S. Nijalingappa. At that time, he was delivering election speeches for his father’s friend, an INC candidate. Nijalingappa then entrusted him to another former Chief Minister, Veerendra Patil, two years later after the split of INC, and Ibrahim stayed with Patil until the latter’s death.

• In 1972, Ibrahim contested an assembly by-election in the Chanarajpet constituency in Bangalore but did not win. During the Emergency declared in 1975, Ibrahim was one of the first opposition leaders in the state to be arrested under MISA. He was released when the Emergency ended and became a strong campaigner for the Janata Party. In 1977, he contested the Lok Sabha seat of Dharwar South but lost to the Congress(I) candidate F.H. Mohsin. During this time, Ibrahim delivered some of his most passionate speeches against Indira Gandhi, calling her an “international prostitute” and accusing her of being a dictator responsible for injustice during the Emergency. He urged people to vote for Janata to break free from jail. ^[7]India Today

  

• After completing his schooling, Ibrahim initially aligned with the INC and later shifted to the Janata Parivar alliance. He won a legislative assembly seat in the 1978 election on the Janata Party ticket and served the Karnataka Assembly as an MLA from Shivajinagar in Bengaluru. He earned trust as one of the followers of the then Chief Minister R. Gundu Rao and was appointed as a minister in the 1980s in the Indian National Congress but eventually left to join the All India Progressive Janata Dal and later the Janata Dal (Secular). Ibrahim served in various capacities, including holding portfolios in Civil Aviation and Tourism and Information and Broadcasting in the Deve Gowda and Gujral governments formed in 1996 and 1997, respectively. After a disagreement with JD(S)’ leadership, he rejoined the INC in 2008.

• Reportedly, his biggest strength was his skill in communicating effectively with the public. In the late 1970s, people would travel considerable distances to hear Ibrahim’s speeches at Nehru Park in Sheshadripuram, Bengaluru. With his unique dark spectacles and impressive speaking skills, Ibrahim attracted large crowds. Even though he was not specifically labelled as a ‘Muslim leader,’ his ability to speak various languages, including Urdu, Hindi, and Kannada, made him well-suited for the role.

  

• In the early 1980s, there was a heated discussion in the Karnataka Legislative Council. A.K. Subbiah, a senior member of the Jan Sangh, criticized C. M. Ibrahim, the minister for food & civil supplies in the Gundu Rao-led Congress government, for his wealth as he showed off a Rolex watch. Ibrahim, known for his background as a labour leader and socialist, wore a watch with a falcon logo. Later, Ibrahim claimed that it was a gift from a Saudi prince.

• In 1986, many cases were filed against him by the Karnataka Police for delivering hate speeches that incited riots in Bangalore and Tumkur. The riots occurred due to a controversy over the title of an article published in the Deccan Herald on 7 December 1986 and resulted in the unfortunate death of 17 people.

• In 1996, he became the Minister of Civil Aviation, Tourism, Information & Broadcasting when Deve Gowda became the Prime Minister.

• In 1997, C. M. Ibrahim refused permission for a joint venture between the Tata Group and Singapore Airlines to operate a domestic airline in India. He stated his reasons were ideological, as he opposed foreign investment in the Indian aviation sector. However, there were accusations that the Aviation ministry, under Ibrahim, was exerting a negative influence, and there were allegations of favouritism toward the private carrier Jet Airways. In November 2010, Ratan Tata, the head of the Tata group, claimed that in the 1990s, a minister had sought a bribe of Rs. 15 crore (approximately US$3.3 million) for approving a proposed venture with Singapore Airlines, but Tata had refused to pay the bribe. While Ibrahim was not directly named, there was speculation in the media that he might have been the minister referred to by Tata. Ibrahim denied the allegation. ^[8]The Economic Times

• In the late 2000s, the alleged rape incident involving one of his brothers in Bhadravathi led to a decline in his popularity, and he did not return to the Assembly. ^[9]News18

  

• Ibrahim strongly supports Siddaramaiah and joined him in the Congress in 2008.

  

• During his time as the Information & Broadcasting Minister, Ibrahim refused permission for Star Television to run a direct-to-home (DTH) service in India. There were accusations that Ibrahim, in favour of Star’s competitor Zee Television, overruled other ministers and allowed Zee Television to operate a DTH network.

• On 1 September 2010, while campaigning in his home state, Ibrahim accused Katta Subramanya Naidu, a politician from the rival Bharatiya Janata Party, of bribing voters. He appealed to the voters,
  

  Take the stack of currency given by Katta Subramanya Naidu without any second thought but do not fail to cast vote for Congress.”

• In January 2017, C. M. Ibrahim’s daughter, Iffa Afza, claimed that her parents pressured her to undergo an abortion as soon as her pregnancy was confirmed. She suspects that her family played a role in the compelled abortion. ^[10]Deccan Herald

  

• In November 2023, former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda expelled Ibrahim from Janata Dal (Secular) or JD(S) for ‘anti-party activities.’ Having moved between the Congress and the Janata Party, back to the Congress, and then to the JD(S), the leader was without a party at the end of 2023, although he was trying to gain control of the Deve Gowda-led party.

•  According to some senior JD(S) leaders, at one time, C. M. Ibrahim was referred to as the translator for Deve Gowda, who lacked proficiency in Hindi when he became the Prime Minister of India. He stayed as a trusted confidant of the JD(S) chief and even acted as Deve Gowda’s spokesperson.

  

• However, over time, C. M. Ibrahim gained a reputation for being someone who missed out on many opportunities due to his “greedy” attitude. Once, in a media conversation, a JD(S) leader narrated the thoughts of Ibrahim. The leader said,
  

  He was too greedy. Had three years left as MLC (in the Congress), but shifted after he was not made LoP in the Upper House. He thought that he can become a minister if there is a coalition government, but the Congress got a full majority.”