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After Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi no Muslim among BJP MPs, Union council of ministers

Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the Cabinet meeting earlier in the day lauded Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi's contribution to the country as minister.

After Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi no Muslim among BJP MPs, Union council of ministers snt
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New Delhi, First Published Jul 6, 2022, 9:06 PM IST

With Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi resigning on Wednesday and his Rajya Sabha term ending a day later, there will be no Muslim face in the Union Council of Ministers and among the BJP's 395 Members of Parliament. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised Naqvi's service as a minister during the Cabinet meeting earlier that day. Naqvi was one of three BJP Muslim MPs whose terms ended during the most recent round of Rajya Sabha elections to 57 seats across 15 states; none of them were renominated by the party. Naqvi later offered his resignation to Modi.

Also read: Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi resigns as Union Minister of Minority Affairs

Two other individuals, Syed Zafar Islam and former Union minister MJ Akbar, have already served their terms. The BJP won't have a Muslim MP for a very long time. It will also be unusual when there is no Muslim member of the Union council of ministers.

The saffron party has maintained that its MPs serve all communities and are not representatives of any faith, despite accusations from the opposition that the BJP does not adequately represent Muslims.

Muslim BJP MPs have had a minimal presence in Parliament over the years. Najma Heptulla has served in the Rajya Sabha for two terms, Shahnawaz Hussain, who is currently a minister in the Bihar government, has served for three terms, and Naqvi has served in the Rajya Sabha for three terms. Naqvi also served one term in the Lok Sabha.

Sikander Bakht, one of the party's initial three general secretaries and a founding member, served twice in the Rajya Sabha. In response to inquiries about the development, Jamal Siddiqui, the head of the BJP minority morcha, argued that politics shouldn't be associated with religion and that MPs are chosen as representatives of the people, not of any particular religion.

"So even if someone from our religion or caste is not there, we should understand that our own countrymen are there. Responsibilities keep on changing in the BJP and I am confident that the party will ensure representation of all communities," he said. 

Also read: PT Usha, Ilaiyaraaja nominated to Rajya Sabha; PM Modi congratulates them

The party also has Muslim lawmakers in some states, including one each in Bihar and UP. However, there is a buzz about the party's outreach to Muslims, India's largest minority community, after Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked BJP leaders at its recent national executive meeting in Hyderabad to cultivate deprived sections in communities other than Hindus as well. 

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma also highlighted the party's good performance in local polls in some regions with a sizeable Muslim population.

(With inputs from PTI)

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