Rishikesh Mayor Shambhu Paswan Lands in Trouble Again, Caste Certificate Under Investigation Rishikesh Mayor Shambhu Paswan once again seems to be heading into troubled waters. His caste certificate has come under scrutiny, and a formal investigation has now begun. The matter is currently being looked into at the district magistrate level, with the first hearing already taking place. During this initial hearing, authorities examined the details of Shambhu Paswan’s certificate. The investigation was ordered by the High Court, which directed the district magistrate to verify the authenticity of the certificate within four weeks. This move came after a petition raised concerns about the legitimacy of Paswan’s caste certificate. The district magistrate of Dehradun is now acting on the court’s order, and the process of reviewing the certificate has officially started. Paswan recently won the municipal elections in Rishikesh on a BJP ticket. The controversy began after an independent candidate, Dinesh Chandra Master, filed a petition challenging the validity of Paswan’s caste certificate. In the petition, the claims made in support of his eligibility were labeled as false. During the court proceedings, the High Court instructed the Dehradun DM to carry out a proper investigation. Now, with the first hearing complete, the administration will also listen to all involved parties before taking any final decision based on legal opinion.
It’s worth noting that the Rishikesh Mayor’s seat is reserved for Scheduled Caste (SC) candidates. The BJP had fielded Shambhu Paswan, who is originally from Bihar, as their candidate. This decision sparked controversy from the very beginning, with the opposition accusing local BJP leaders of promoting an outsider over local candidates. Shambhu is believed to be close to Rishikesh MLA Premchand Aggarwal, who reportedly played a key role in getting him the ticket. The opposition didn’t take this lightly and criticized the MLA for helping a non-local win the election. During the mayoral campaign, Shambhu Paswan faced a tough challenge from independent candidate Dinesh Master, who ran on a strong “local versus outsider” sentiment. Despite the opposition’s efforts, Paswan won the election. But the certificate issue has now reignited political tensions, with rivals once again targeting him over his eligibility. Eventually, the matter reached the court. The Nainital High Court has now disposed of the petition but has directed the Dehradun DM to investigate the caste certificate and take a decision within four weeks. Justice Ravindra Maithani’s single bench heard the matter. If the caste certificate is found to be invalid, it could cost Shambhu Paswan his position as mayor.
