Lucknow: If the number and strenght in the newly elected Uttar Pradesh Assembly are any indication, the state is most likely to have a Hindu or a person belonging to other than a minority community as Minority Welfare Minister.
The BJP government in Maharashtra was the first to appoint Eknath Khadse, a Hindu, as Minister of Minority Development Department.
However the problem which the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) will face in Uttar Pradesh is that the Ministry of Minority Welfare also deals with Haj affairs and be default he or she is the Chariman of Uttar Pradesg Haj Committee. Hence many people will find it awkward if a non-Muslim heads the minority ministry.
The second option being explored, if Union Urban Development Minister Venkaiah Naidu is to be believed, the BJP will appoint a Muslim as Minister of Minority Welfare in Uttar Pradesh and will later elect him as Member of Legislative Council (MLC).
“If (a Muslim) MLA is not there, an MLC (member of legislative council) will be there … There will be Muslim representatives in the govt", Venkaiah Naidu said.He said a section of Muslims supported the BJP in the polls. “Because of the triple talaq issue, Muslim women, especially younger women, voted for us.”
The third option is to scrap the minority ministry altogether. This risky move is being speculated in a circle after BJP Chief Amit Shah in his victory speech after the Uttar Pradesh election is declared said, "The (Uttar Pradesh) verdict would end politics of casteism, dynasty and minority appeasement".
The BJP is known for its opposition to any "minority centric" scheme. Amit Shah's statement is in line with the party's agenda, also the focus of Prime Minister Modi's speeches during the 2017 Uttar Pradesh elections.
The BJP had not fielded any Muslim in the recently concluded Uttar Pradesh elections. As a result it does not have any member of the community as its MLA in the newly elected Assembly.
The Ministry of Minority Affairs was first introduced by the Central government headed by Dr Manmohan Singh of Congress. It was followed by establishment of the ministry in states like Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh where population of Muslims is about 14 and 20 per cent respectively.
Interestingly, despite all opposition, the BJP kept intact the Ministry of Minority Affairs at the Centre. It is currently headed by Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi.
Post Comments
| Quick links