News Analysis India

Tag: Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi

  • Prez accepts resignations of Naqvi, RCP Singh; Irani given charge of Minority Affairs Ministry

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: President Ram Nath Kovind accepted the resignations of Union ministers Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and Ram Chandra Prasad Singh with immediate effect, according to a Rashtrapati Bhavan statement on Wednesday.

    Minority Affairs Minister Naqvi and Steel Minister Singh submitted their resignations to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday, a day before the completion of their Rajya Sabha term.

    ALSO READ | With Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi’s term ending, no Muslim among BJP MPs

    According to the Rashtrapati Bhavan statement, “As advised by the Prime Minister, the President has directed that Smriti Zubin Irani, Cabinet Minister, be assigned the charge of the Ministry of Minority Affairs, in addition to her existing portfolio.”

    Cabinet Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia has been assigned the charge of the Ministry of Steel, in addition to his existing portfolio.

  • Will Naqvi get L-G post of J&K ahead of assembly poll?

    Express News Service

    SRINAGAR:  With BJP denying Rajya Sabha ticket to its Muslim face and Union minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, speculations are rife that he may be posted as the Lt Governor of Muslim-majority Jammu and Kashmir Union Territory.

    There is a growing buzz in J&K that Naqvi, who is the prominent Muslim face of the saffron party, may take over as the constitutional head of J&K after the conclusion of Amarnath Yatra in August. Naqvi’s RS term is expiring and the party has neither given him RS ticket nor shown any inclination to field him from any of the vacant LS seats.

    Naqvi, who is currently the Union Minister of Minority Affairs, has been familiar with Kashmir. He had campaigned for party candidates in the 2014 assembly and 2020 DDC polls in the Valley. Naqvi was the first of the five Union ministers to visit J&K after Article 370 was revoked and J&K state was bifurcated into two UTs.

    The talk of possible change in guard in J&K has come after the targeted killings by militants in the Valley. It is being said that the Centre is unhappy with the L-G administration over the targeted killings.  Political observers say that with the first-ever assembly elections in J&K Union Territory likely to be held soon, the Modi government may go for change of guard in the UT and Naqvi’s appointment may be seen as an effort by the BJP to reach out to the Muslim population.

    However, a BJP leader said L-G’s is a constitutional post and it does not matter whether the person is a Hindu or Muslim. “The person who comes out with good policies will have a positive impact on the people,” he said. However, some political observers say that BJP is too “secretive” when it comes to nominating persons for  top posts.

  • All religions flourish in environment of freedom in India: Union Minority Minister on Al-Qaeda threat

    Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: Union Minister and deputy leader in Rajya Sabha, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi on Wednesday said here that Al-Qaeda is a “problem” and not “protection” for Muslims as the terrorist group is misusing the Islam as a “safety cover”. 

    Speaking to the media, Naqvi said India’s strength of co-existence cannot be harmed by any narrow-minded communal conspiracy. 

    “India’s commitment to “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” and “Sarve Bhavantu Sukhinah” has ensured that followers of all religions are flourishing in the environment of equality, freedom and inclusivity”, he said

    Going further, Naqvi said that out of every 10 Muslims living in the world, one Muslim lives in India with equal socio-economic, educational, religious and constitutional rights. “However, the selective silence on oppression and cruelty against minorities in our neighbouring country is something that is hypocritically shocking”, he said.Lashing out at Pakistan, he said that the minorities’ population in Pakistan, which was about 24 per cent of the total population during the Partition, has now been reduced to even below 2 per cent. “While in India, minorities’ population which was about 8 per cent of the total population during the Partition, has now increased to over 22 per cent”, he claimed.

    He added that the “Pakistan Propped Propaganda” is to cover up the persecution of minorities and safe haven of terrorism in Pakistan and at the same time, to defame India in a conspiracy to spoil the atmosphere of peace and prosperity.Quoting figures, the minister said there are more than 3 lakh active mosques in India, and there is an equal number of other places of worship for the Muslim community.”There are more than 50,000 registered madrasas and more than 50,000 minority educational institutions, which is more than several Islamic countries. Similarly, there are thousands of churches, gurudwaras, and places of worship for Buddhists, Parsis and Jains. These all are a reflection of “Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat” and “Unity in Diversity””, he claimed.

    “Equal rights, dignity and prosperity of the minorities including Muslims are a part of India’s commitment to tolerance, harmony and inclusivity. During the last eight years, the Modi government has made all sections of the society including minorities an equal partner of peace and prosperity”, he claimed.

    Naqvi further said that unable to digest this positive atmosphere of “development with trust” in the country, some people are spreading falsehood on the issue of minorities before the world which is fabricated and opposite to the ground reality. 

    “These people are trying to hide the “mountain of truth” behind “bushes of lies”, he lambasted.

  • Rajya Sabha polls to 57 seats from 15 states on June 10: Election Commission

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Elections will be held on June 10 to fill 57 Rajya Sabha seats from 15 states falling vacant due to the retirement of members on different dates between June and August, the Election Commission said on Thursday.

    Prominent among those retiring are Union minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, Congress leaders Ambika Soni, Jairam Ramesh and Kapil Sibal, and BSP’s Satish Chandra Misra.

    Members are retiring between June 21 and August 1.

    While 11 seats are falling vacant in Uttar Pradesh, six members each are retiring from Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra, five from Bihar and four each from Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan and Karnataka.

    Three members each from Madhya Pradesh and Odisha, two each from Telangana, Chhattisgarh, Punjab Jharkhand and Haryana, and one from Uttarakhand are also retiring.

    The notification for the polls will be issued on May 24 and voting will be held on June 10.

    According to established practice, counting will take place an hour after the conclusion of polling.

    Most of the new members who get elected are likely to vote in the President’s election, due sometime in July.

  • Fashion to give ‘communal colour’ to illegal acts: Naqvi on Shaheen Bagh demolition row

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Amid a row over the demolition drive in Shaheen Bagh, Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi on Tuesday said it has become a fashion to give a “communal colour” to criminal acts, and asserted that “legal action” against “illegal acts” should be supported.

    Protests erupted at Delhi’s Shaheen Bagh, the scene of the epic sit-in against the new citizenship law, on Monday with hundreds of people, including women, physically blocking bulldozers and forcing the local municipal authority to abandon the anti-encroachment drive.

    AAP MLA of the area Amanatullah Khan had on Monday accused that the BJP of using the municipality to “spoil” the environment in Shaheen Bagh and indulging in “Hindu-Muslim rhetoric”.

    Leaders of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), including Khan, and the Congress had reached the spot and staged a dharna.

    Asked about the allegations of Opposition parties such as the AAP and the Congress, Naqvi said it is unfortunate that it has become a fashion to give a “communal colour” to criminal and illegal acts.

    Legal action against illegal acts should be supported and not given a communal colour, the senior BJP leader told PTI.

    “Be it crime, illegal acts, some political parties make it a part of their pseudo-secular agenda,” he said.

    Parodying a popular Bollywood song, Naqvi said of the controversy, “Bulldozer badnaam hua, encroachment tere liye.”

    The minority affairs minister said if someone has committed a crime, an illegal act, then action is taken without discrimination.

    “The constitutional, social and religious rights of minorities were, are and will be protected. Nobody can harm these rights,” he asserted.

    Those who indulge in fear-mongering among minorities, they are not well-wishers of minorities but want to politically exploit them, Naqvi said.

    Asserting that illegal encroachment cannot be a safe investment for anyone, the minister said it has nothing to do with caste, colour or community and action would be taken against anyone, who indulges in it.

    “It is heartening to see that at some places people have themselves cleared encroachments,” he said.

    The Delhi Police had on Monday registered an FIR against AAP MLA Khan and his supporters for allegedly obstructing an anti-encroachment drive in Shaheen Bagh, officials said.

    The South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) lodged a complaint with the police against Khan and his supporters, accusing them of obstructing its anti-encroachment drive in Shaheen Bagh on Monday.

    As soon as bulldozers rolled into the locality, teeming with police and paramilitary personnel, to pull down alleged illegal structures, hundreds of people gathered on the streets and atop buildings.

    Many raised slogans against the authorities and staged sit-ins on the roads, while a woman protester hopped onto a bulldozer, the earthmoving machine that has emerged as a symbol of government power in the recent months.

  • ‘Communal politics’ over CAA has begun; law is not about taking away citizenship: Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi on Sunday said “communal politics” over the Citizenship (Amendment) Act has begun again with some calling for its repeal and asserted that the law is not about taking away citizenship but about providing it to Hindus, Sikhs and other oppressed minorities in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh.

    Naqvi said some have also called for the restoration of Article 370 and stressed that with its abrogation, more than 370 problems in Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh have been resolved with people joining the mainstream of progress.

    Talking to reporters after attending a mass marriage function in Uttar Pradesh’s Rampur, the minister said that the era of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has demolished the “legacy of cut, commission and corruption”.

    He said the Modi and the Adityanath governments have brought an end to the politics promoting “riots and mafia”.

    “The Modi and Yogi era has created fear among the corrupt and the mafia,” he was quoted as saying in a statement issued by his office.

    Referring to the discourse in some quarters following the government’s decision to repeal three farm laws, Naqvi said that “communal politics has begun on Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) and Article 370”.

    “Somebody says CAA should be repealed and Article 370 should be restored. These people know very well that CAA isn’t about taking away citizenship but providing citizenship to Hindus, Sikhs and other oppressed minorities in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh,” he said.

    The minority affairs minister said that with the abrogation of Article 370, over 370 problems have been resolved in Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, and people have been brought in the mainstream of development and progress.

    After Prime Minister Modi announced the repeal of farm laws, prominent Muslim organisation Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind on Friday had urged the government to take back the CAA as well.

    BSP MP from Amroha Kunwar Danish Ali also called for the repeal of the CAA “without further delay”.

    The CAA was notified on December 12, 2019, and came into force from January 10 last year.

    After the CAA was passed by Parliament, widespread protests were witnessed in different parts of the country.

    The CAA is aimed at granting Indian citizenship to persecuted minorities like Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, Parsis and Christians from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan.

    In his remarks, Naqvi also slammed Pakistan over its reported allegations of Muslims being targeted in India.

    He said it is very surprising that Pakistan is giving a lecture to India regarding the rights of minorities and the irony is that some political parties in India are trying to support the “Bharat bashing brigade” in their conspiracy to defame the inclusive culture of India.

    India doesn’t need a certificate regarding rights of minorities from a country like Pakistan which has set records in atrocities against minorities, the minority affairs minister said.

    At the time of the Partition, the population of minorities in Pakistan was more than 24 per cent, which is now at just about 2 per cent.

    Thousands of places of worship of Hindus and Sikhs have been demolished in Pakistan, he said.

    On the other hand, there are about three lakh active mosques in India, there are lakhs of other places of worship including temples, churches, and gurdwaras, Naqvi asserted.

    The religious, social, educational and constitutional rights of minorities are absolutely safe in India, he asserted.

    In India, minorities have equal share in the development of the country and in the empowerment that is taking place, Naqvi said.

    He said that it is laughable that Pakistan, which is a “jungle of atrocities”, is trying to preach India which is the biggest secular and democratic country in the world.

    Pointing out that bomb blasts take place regularly in places of worship in Pakistan, Naqvi said thousands of innocent people are being killed there.

    Displaying the height of hypocrisy, Pakistan is now shedding “crocodile tears” on the rights of minorities in India, he said.

    Everybody knows that India is the best and safest place in the world for minorities, Naqvi asserted.

    He said those who question “Hindutva” are conspiring to defame the inclusive cultural commitment of India.

    “Hindutva” is the guarantee of secularism and inclusivity, the minister said Only a person with an “insane mindset” can attack or question “Hindutva”, he added.

    Attack or conspiracy against the culture of “Hindutva” is a conspiracy to harm the soul of India, he said.

    The statement said that under the mass marriage scheme in Rampur, 225 couples tied the knot, including 132 Hindu and 93 Muslim couples.

    Naqvi gave blessings to the newly married couples and wished them a bright future, it said.

  • No certificate needed from country setting records in atrocities against minorities: Naqvi slams Pakistan

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Union Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi on Thursday described as a “nefarious campaign” the reported allegations by Pakistan over Muslims’ Friday congregational prayers in Gurgaon, and said no certificate is needed from a country which is setting records in “atrocities against minorities”.

    Naqvi asserted that for Indian Muslims, India is the “best and safest” place in the world.

    He dismissed the allegations as a “nefarious, misleading and criminal campaign” by the Pakistani establishment against India.

    “It is a fake agenda of the Bharat bashing brigade,” the minority affairs minister told PTI.

    Slamming Pakistan, Naqvi pointed out that as of today, there are three lakh active mosques in India which are registered with Waqf boards and the administration.

    There are many more places where prayers are performed by Muslims, he added.

    The number of active mosques and prayer places in India is more than in any other country in the world, including Islamic nations, Naqvi said.

    As far as Pakistan is concerned, there were about 5,000 temples at the time of partition and today there are not even 30 active temples there, the minister said, adding that the same is the situation with respect to churches and gurdwaras.

    As far as population is concerned, at the time of partition, the population of minorities in Pakistan was more than 24 per cent and now it is less than 2 per cent, Naqvi said.

    In India, at the time of partition, the population of minorities was about eight per cent and now it is more than 20 per cent, he said.

    Naqvi asserted that in India minorities have equal share in development of the country and in empowerment that is taking place.

    Economically and educationally all communities have equal opportunities and also have an equal share in progress and prosperity, he said.

    Be it ‘namaz’ or other religious activities, they are constitutionally safeguarded in India, he said.

    “It is laughable that those sitting in the jungle of atrocities are preaching the biggest secular and democratic country in the world,” Naqvi said.

    “No certificate is needed from a country which is setting records in atrocities against minorities,” he said, hitting out at Pakistan.

    His remarks came a day after the Dawn News quoted a Pakistan Foreign Office statement as raising concerns over alleged “restrictions” on Friday prayers by Muslims in Gurgaon.

    The statement also alleged that Muslims were being targeted and cited recent incidents in Maharashtra and Tripura.

    Naqvi said the Hindu culture is the guarantee of secularism and inclusivity.

  • No point raising Pegasus; Opposition should not link Parliament session with polls: Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: With the Congress set to raise the Pegasus snooping allegations in Parliament again, Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi on Sunday said what is the point of disrupting the House over issues that are “not based on facts”, and also asserted that the Opposition should avoid linking the upcoming Winter session with assembly polls.

    The deputy leader of Rajya Sabha said the government is ready to discuss and debate all issues on the basis of the decision of the chair in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.

    In an interview with PTI, Naqvi also took a dig at the Congress over disruptions in previous parliamentary sessions, saying that in the last seven years, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has established that “democracy delivers” and “dynasty disturbs”.

    Asked about the Opposition unity during the last session of Parliament, he said the BJP and Prime Minister Modi believe that there should be a “mazboot (strong)” not “majboor (helpless)” Opposition, but unfortunately in their scramble to lead the Opposition, the influence of such parties is getting diminished.

    “They should unite on issues. Last time they united just to disrupt,” he said.

    The Cabinet Committee on Parliament Affairs has recommended that the Winter session of Parliament be held from November 29 to December 23, according to sources.

    Asked about the Congress’ assertion that it will raise the Pegasus snooping allegations in Parliament again, Naqvi said what they have decided is not important, whatever is decided with unanimity, the government will stand by that.

    “Till when will they drag their stories and tales about spying. There is no point of raising it. These are issues that are not based on facts or logic. So, if you want to disrupt the House over illogical issues, it is up to you,” the Minority Affairs Minister said.

    Hitting out at the Congress, Naqvi said, “We were ready to discuss price rise last time, we also fixed the time. Pegasus has been discussed many times and they have been exposed every time.”

    The Supreme Court has given its verdict and also other agencies have made their stand clear but the problem with the Congress is that it is “the James Bond of spying”, the minister said.

    When in Opposition, the Congress creates a “hullabaloo” over spying and when in power it spreads a “web of surveillance”, Naqvi alleged.

    The Congress’ history is such that they have even spied on their own home minister and finance minister, he claimed.

    “So, all this is fake and fabricated but despite that whatever the chair decides, will be discussed,” he added.

    Last month, after the Supreme Court order appointing a three-member panel of cyber experts to probe the Pegasus snooping allegations, former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi had asserted at a press conference that the party will raise the issue again and will try to have a debate in Parliament.

    Naqvi stressed that the government maintains a constant line of communication open with the Opposition for the smooth functioning of the House.

    Asserting that in the previous sessions the Opposition has been found linking the Parliament session with assembly polls, he said if this continues justice will not be done to parliamentary responsibilities.

    “What we have seen traditionally is that Opposition raises issues, there is an all-party meeting and there is a business advisory committee meeting on it to decide, but unfortunately even last time, Parliament session happened close to assembly polls and this time also it is closer to 4-5 assembly polls. If we see the session by linking it to polls we will not be able to do justice to our parliamentary duties,” he said.

    Naqvi hoped that the discussions would take place on all important issues and the upcoming Winter session would be productive.

    He alleged that till now it has been seen that the Opposition sees parliamentary sessions by linking it with polls.

    “Problem is that they do not have support on the ground and that is why they create a furore inside the House,” he said, hitting out at the Opposition.

    On the unruly scenes witnessed in Rajya Sabha on the last day of the Monsoon session, the Rajya Sabha deputy leader said the issue is before the chair and will be decided by it.

    “Our appeal is that our Parliament and parliamentary democracy are the strongest in the world and we should not do anything that harms it,” Naqvi said.

    Asked about the farmers’ protests and the announcement that they would march to Parliament during the Winter session, Naqvi said the government was always open to dialogue and had never put a “no talks” board for the farmers.

    “We appeal to (farmer leaders) to listen, till when will you keep getting exploited. The political parties that are exploiting you are not for your or for farmers welfare,” he said.

    Naqvi said that in the name of farmers, some people for their own benefit have “hijacked this agitation”.

    He said there were three main farmers’ issues, which have been “resolved”.

    “The government has talked about the guarantee of MSP a 1,000 times, both inside and outside Parliament. Then there was the issue of protection of ‘Mandis’. ‘Mandis’ were, are and will remain protected and are flourishing. And, finally the protection of the farmers’ land has been guaranteed in the farm laws. These issues have been resolved,” Naqvi said.

    “Some people want to create confusion, spread fear and misinformation. The government has played its role both inside and outside Parliament (on the farmers’ issues),” he added.

  • Hajj 2022 online application process starts; Union Minister Naqvi announces enhanced facilities

    By PTI

    MUMBAI: The online application process for Hajj 2022 began on Monday with Union Minister for Minority Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi announcing significant reforms and enhanced facilities for the pilgrimage.

    While announcing Hajj 2022 at Hajjj House in south Mumbai, Naqvi said the entire Hajj process will be 100 per cent digital/online.

    The last date of applying for Hajj 2022 is January 31, 2022. People can also apply through the Hajj mobile app, a statement quoting the minister said.

    Indian Hajj pilgrims will promote vocal for local’ and go there with indigenous products, Naqvi said. Hajj pilgrims used to buy bed sheets, pillows, towels, umbrellas and other items in Saudi Arabia in foreign currency but this time, most of these goods will be bought in India in Indian currency.

    These goods will be available at almost 50 per cent lower prices in comparison to their cost in Saudi Arabia and will be given to pilgrims at their respective embarkation points in India.

    India sends 2 lakh Hajj pilgrims every year and this arrangement will help save crores of rupees of Indian Hajj pilgrims, the minister said.

    The selection process of Hajj pilgrims will be done as per coronavirus protocols and norms to be decided by Indian and Saudi Arabian governments, he said.

    The embarkation points have been reduced from 21 to 10 for Hajj 2022, Naqvi said. These are Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Cochin, Delhi, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Lucknow, Mumbai and Srinagar. Over 3,000 women had applied for Hajj 2020 and 2021 under the without Mehram (male companion) category, he said. Their applications will be eligible for Hajj 2022 also, he said, adding other women can also apply for Hajj 2022 under the without Mehram category, under which they will be exempted from the lottery system.

  • Secularism constitutional, moral commitment for BJP: Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Senior BJP leader and Union minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi on Sunday took a swipe at opposition parties and said they treat secularism as their “political proprietorship” to “deceit” its constitutional essence.

    Inaugurating the BJP’s Minority Morcha national executive, he said secularism is the constitutional and moral commitment for the BJP but the “pseudo secular syndicate” has misused it as a “vote catching tool”.

    He also cited figures to assert that a large number of minorities have benefitted from the Modi government’s welfare policies, like building houses for the poor, free cooking gas connections and cash transfer to farmers.

    Attacking the Congress, he alleged that since independence “political merchants of minority votes” have played tricks to dupe the minorities and conspired to grab their votes by creating atmosphere of fear, raising bogey of intolerance, spinning web of religion and spreading rumours, according to a statement.

    He said the Modi government is committed to “sabka sath, sabka vikas, sabka vishwas, sabka prayas” to ensure development with dignity of all sections, including the minorities.

    “The pseudo political champions of secularism deliberately neglected the socio-economic-educational empowerment of minorities.

    Political parties which enjoyed power for the maximum time in the country adopted the path of divide and rule by using secularism for their political convenience,” Naqvi alleged.

    He said opposition parties have treated secularism as their “political proprietorship” to “deceit” the constitutional essence of secularism.

    Minorities have to be remain cautious of the parties wearing the “veil of secularism” while peddling conspiracies, he said, claiming that they have now understood the reality and supporting the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP’s policies.

    The BJP believes in “development with dignity” and “development without discrimination”, he said.

    The government during the last seven years has worked for inclusive empowerment with commitment to constitutional values and has ensured all the sections of society become equal partner in development process, Naqvi said.

    The Modi government’s Inclusive development has finished off “appeasement politics”, he claimed.

    He said “historic” steps taken by the Modi government to ensure progress and prosperity of minorities include employment and employment opportunities to more than 5.

    50 lakh artisans, craftsmen through “hunar haat”, scholarships to more than five crore minority students and decrease in school drop-out rate among Muslim girls from 70 percent to about 30 percent.

    Out of over two crore people who benefitted from the Modi government’s housing project, 31 percent are minorities, while 33 percent of 12 crore farmers “Kisan Samman Nidhi” are also minorities, he said.

    Nearly 37 percent of eight crore “Ujjwala Yojana” beneficiaries are minority women, he added.