Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi

Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi
Naqvi in 2017
Minister of Minority Affairs
In office
12 July 2016 – 6 July 2022
Prime MinisterNarendra Modi
Preceded byNajma Heptullah
Succeeded bySmriti Irani
Deputy Leader of the House in Rajya Sabha
In office
19 July 2021 – 4 July 2022
LeaderPiyush Goyal
Preceded byPiyush Goyal
Succeeded byDharmendra Pradhan
Minister of State for Minority Affairs
In office
26 May 2014 – 12 July 2016
Prime MinisterNarendra Modi
MinisterNajma Heptullah
Preceded byNinong Ering
Succeeded byVirendra Kumar
Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs
In office
26 May 2014 – 3 September 2017
Prime MinisterNarendra Modi
MinisterM.Venkaiah Naidu
Ananth Kumar
Preceded byV Narayanasamy
Succeeded byVijay Goel
Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha
In office
8 July 2016 – 4 July 2022
Preceded byM. J. Akbar
Succeeded byAditya Sahu
ConstituencyJharkhand
In office
5 July 2010 – 4 July 2016
ConstituencyUttar Pradesh
Personal details
Born (1957-10-15) 15 October 1957 (age 67)
Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh
Political partyBharatiya Janata Party
SpouseSeema Naqvi
Children1
Alma materAsian Academy of Higher Studies, Noida[1][2]

Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi (born 15 October 1957) is an Indian politician and was the Union Minister of Minority Affairs. He had served as a Member of Parliament in the Rajya Sabha from 2002 to 2022[3] and was Deputy Leader of the House in Rajya Sabha between 2021 and 2022.

Naqvi was a Member of Parliament in the Rajya Sabha from Uttar Pradesh from 2010 to 2016 and from Jharkhand from 2016 to 2022.

Early and personal life

Naqvi was born to AH Naqvi and Sakina Begum on 15 October 1957 at Allahabad in Uttar Pradesh, India.[4] He studied arts and mass communication.[5] Naqvi married Seema Naqvi on 8 June 1983 and they have a son together.[4]

Political career

Naqvi was jailed at the age of 17 in 1975 during the period of Emergency at the Naini Central Jail in Allahabad due to his political activities. As a student leader, he had also participated in the activities of the Janata Party.[6] Naqvi unsuccessfully contested elections for the legislative assembly of Uttar Pradesh in 1980 as a candidate of Janata Party (Secular). He also contested elections as an independent candidate in 1980 Lok Sabha elections from the Ayodhya constituency.[6] He was elected to the 1998 Lok Sabha from Lok Sabha, and subsequently given the post of Minister of State for Ministry of Information and Broadcasting with additional charge of the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs (2001-2003) in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government.[6]

He was elected to Rajya Sabha in 2016.[7]

He became Minister of State for Minority Affairs and Parliamentary Affairs on 26 May 2014 in Narendra Modi ministry.[8] After resignation of Najma Heptulla on 12 July 2016, he got independent charge of the Ministry of Minority Affairs.[9][10]

He took oath as cabinet minister in Narendra Modi's cabinet on 30 May 2019 and continued with the Ministry of Minority Affairs.[11][12]

Views

Congress

According to Naqvi, a "baseless" campaign had been started by Congress party to prevent Indian Muslims from joining the Bharatiya Janata Party. Naqvi has also said that he does not harbour the allegations of Congress that as BJP came to power, there was nobody to cause riots against the minority community.[13]

Muslims

Naqvi feels that Muslims don't desert other Muslims if they are given important posts in the Bharatiya Janata Party.[13] For the party to increase support amongst the Muslims; he opines that they should feel that they are "equal citizens of this country", and also "understand that the bill on Muslim Personal Law will not take away their right to practise their religion". In addition, the party should also make them aware of the works done by the Vajpayee government.[13]

Naqvi has also said that there is "no justification" for the 2002 Gujarat riots.[14] In November 2015, when actor Aamir Khan said that he felt of leaving the country, Naqvi defended by saying that he had made the comment "in a hurry or maybe under influence from others".[15]

BJP and RSS

Naqvi has said that Bharatiya Janata Party and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh are two "separate entities" and each of them has different views on different issues.[16] According to him RSS is a nationalist organization and not an "anti-national" one.[17]

Books

Naqvi has written three books - Syah (1991), Danga (1998) and Vaisali (2008).[6]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Alumni - Mass Communication Colleges in Delhi India - AAFT Mass communication - Top Mass Communication College in India - AAFT School of Mass Communication". aaft.com. Archived from the original on 13 March 2017. Retrieved 13 March 2017.
  2. ^ "MUKHTAR ABBAS NAQVI(Bharatiya Janata Party(BJP)):Constituency- Rampur(UTTAR PRADESH) - Affidavit Information of Candidate". Archived from the original on 13 March 2017. Retrieved 13 March 2017.
  3. ^ "Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi Biography - About family, political life, awards won, history".
  4. ^ a b "Detailed Profile: Shri Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi", India.gov.in, archived from the original on 8 December 2015
  5. ^ "Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi". mukhtarabbasnaqvi.in. Archived from the original on 14 March 2017.
  6. ^ a b c d "Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, Muslim face of BJP, stages a comeback", The Economic Times, 9 November 2014, archived from the original on 5 December 2014
  7. ^ "Rajya Sabha polls: Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, Mahesh Poddar win in Jharkhand", The Indian Express, 11 June 2016, archived from the original on 12 June 2016
  8. ^ "Asaduddin Owaisi's help to IS suspects will fuel terror: Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi", The Indian Express, 4 July 2016, archived from the original on 7 July 2016
  9. ^ "Najma Heptulla, G M Siddeshwara resign from Modi Cabinet", India Today, 12 July 2016, archived from the original on 10 August 2016
  10. ^ Mohan, Archis (13 July 2016), "Why Najma Heptulla, G M Siddeswara were forced to quit Modi Cabinet", Business Standard, archived from the original on 15 July 2016, retrieved 13 July 2016
  11. ^ Team, DNA Web. "Modi 2.0 Cabinet: Here's complete list of ministers with portfolios | Latest News & Updates at DNAIndia.com". DNA India. Retrieved 21 November 2020.
  12. ^ "PM Modi allocates portfolios. Full list of new ministers", Live Mint, 31 May 2019
  13. ^ a b c "Muslims have begun to feel that the campaign unleashed by the Congress against the BJP was totally baseless". Rediff. Archived from the original on 5 January 2016. Retrieved 25 November 2015.
  14. ^ "Q & A: Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi". The Hindu. 21 March 2004. Archived from the original on 11 May 2018. Retrieved 25 November 2015.
  15. ^ Hebbar, Nistula (24 November 2015). "Aamir may have been under someone's influence: Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 11 May 2018. Retrieved 25 November 2015.
  16. ^ "BJP minority leader defends party". The Hindu. 21 October 2000. Archived from the original on 11 May 2018. Retrieved 25 November 2015.
  17. ^ "Hindu or Muslim, if anyone tries to create atmosphere of fear, the public will reject them: Naqvi". The Indian Express. 14 January 2015. Archived from the original on 10 December 2015. Retrieved 25 November 2015.
Lok Sabha
Preceded by Member of Parliament
for Rampur

1998 – 1999
Succeeded by
Political offices
Preceded by Minister of Minority Affairs
12 July 2016 – 06 July 2022
Succeeded by

Further reading