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HomePoliticsMukhtar Abbas Naqvi is the lone Muslim face in Modi's new govt

Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi is the lone Muslim face in Modi’s new govt

Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi was the Minority Affairs Minister in the previous Modi government and is credited with major reforms in the Haj policy.

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New Delhi: With Prime Minister Narendra Modi pledging ‘sabka saath, sabka vikas and sabka vishwas’ mantra, his cabinet’s lone Muslim face Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi will have the responsibility of winning the hearts of minorities and taking forward the ‘development without appeasement’ policy.

Naqvi, who took oath as a cabinet minister on Thursday, was the Minority Affairs Minister in the previous dispensation and is credited with major reforms in the Haj policy.

During his tenure, the Haj subsidy was done away with under a new policy and women were allowed to go on the pilgrimage without Mehram or a male companion.

If he gets the Minority Affairs portfolio again, he would look to take forward the welfare policies and reforms while having the added responsibility of winning the hearts of minorities.

Prime Minister Modi, in a speech after securing a massive mandate in the Lok Sabha polls, had said: “Our mantra should be ‘sabka saath, sabka vikas and sabka vishwas’ (with all, for everybody’s development and having everyone’s trust).”


Also readNew Modi govt — Amit Shah, Jaishankar in, Sushma, Maneka & Rathore out


“They (minorities) cannot be handed over to them (Opposition), who benefit because we keep quiet,” Modi had said.

Naqvi would look to act on taking minorities along with a slew of welfare measures.

As the Minority Affairs Minister, Naqvi effectively implemented various schemes aimed at socio-economic-educational empowerment of poor and weaker sections of minorities with the goal of “development with dignity”.

He has contested two assembly elections (1991, 1993) and three Lok Sabha elections (1998, 1999 and 2009).

He became the first BJP Muslim Lok Sabha Member elected from Rampur, Uttar Pradesh, in 1998. He was elected to the Rajya Sabha (Upper House of Parliament) in 2002, 2010 and 2016.

Naqvi served as Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting and Parliamentary Affairs in 1998 in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee-government.

The other ministers from the minority communities included in the council of ministers are Harsimrat Kaur Badal and Hardeep Singh Puri.


Also readFull list of ministers in the Modi govt in order of their oath-taking


 

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3 COMMENTS

  1. A small correction. Rijiju belongs to the Buddhist community so he would also qualify as from among the Minorities.
    I take strong exception to the term “Minority Appeasement” that has become au currant. Do reservations for SCs STs OBCs and now EWS qualify as appeasements or as reverse discrimination? What about spending over 4000 crores of public money for the Kumbh Mela? Who sees to the massive arrangements and security for Amarnath, Mansarovar and other yatras? If these are kosher then what is wrong in having special schemes for the welfare of religious minorities?
    Public discourse should be balanced, not biased either way.

  2. Muslims should recognize the importance of Muslims like Naqvi, Shahnawaz Hussain & Suureshwala and show interest in electing them. Only by electing BJP they will be able to show Congress, SP, BSP and other “secular” parties that they mean business and expect them to earn Muslim vote, not just take it for granted. This way they can also show BJP that it is possible to earn their vote, they are not fanatics lead by Mullah or corrupt Hindus like Lalu Prasad.

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