Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi Biography

About Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi

Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi is a member of Rajya Sabha from Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand for the last two terms. Since 2010, he is the national Vice President of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Currently, he is also a spokesperson of the BJP and there are chances that he could also be made a minister in the upcoming expansion of Modi Government.

Early Life of Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi

Naqvi later got engaged in active politics and in 1980 fought from the Allahabad West Legislative Constituency of Uttar Pradesh on a Janata Party ticket and won. Subsequently in 1986, he joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and held several eminent positions in the party. He has been Vice President of the youth wing of BJP for two terms.

Naqvi is amongst the well-known Muslim leaders of the pro-Hindutva BJP. However, BJP already has a minority wing that has had leaders like Sikandar Bakht, Abdul Alim Khan, Syed Shahnawaz Hussain and Naqvi himself, among others.

Naqvi got elected to Lok Sabha in 1998 from the Rampur seat of Uttar Pradesh and in the very same year he was given portfolio of State Minister of Ministry of Information and Broadcasting in the BJP government led by Atal Behari Vajpayee. Simultaneously, he was also given additional charge of the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs. Since then, he has been considered as the leading Muslim face of BJP. From Rampur seat, he is the first Muslim to be elected to Lok Sabha on the BJP ticket.

Significantly, while addressing a gathering at Rampur Radio Station on the occasion of its golden jubilee celebration, Naqvi suggested that since radio is connected to millions living in rural areas, its reporting and programme planning should never be done only sitting at the studio. He also supported Prime Minister Modi’s pledge for revival of radio culture in the country. He said radio programmes should focus on the problems related to rural India and agriculture activities in order to achieve the maximum and positive impact of this medium.

Recently, Naqvi led his party’s fact finding team to the Birbhum district of West Bengal to inquire into the attacks on his party workers allegedly by the Trinamool Congress Party workers. He was arrested for trying to break the police barricades during the course of their investigation, and later released on bail.

As part of his long political innings, Naqvi has been member of several decisive committees responsible for forming different laws and policies. Some of these include Committee on Finance, Committee on Commerce, Joint Committee on the functioning of Wakf Boards and Committee on Information and Technology.

Important positions held by Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi

• 1978 – Allahabad District Vice President and General Secretary of Yuva Janta, The youth wing of Janta Party.
• 1979 – Member (Elected), State Executive of Uttar Pradesh Yuva Janta.
• 1982 – Promoted as General Secretary of Uttar Pradesh Yuva Janta.
• 1992 – National Vice-President of the The Youth wing of BJP, Bharatiya Janta Yuva Morcha.
• 1998-99 - Member, Twelfth Lok Sabha. Minister of State in the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting with additional charge of the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs 2001-2003 Elected Vice-Chairman, Centre for Cultural Resources and Training (CCRT), Ministry of Culture, Government of India Nov.
• 2000 – National Secretary of Bharatiya Janata Party.
• 2002 - Elected to Rajya Sabha Jan.-March 2003 Member, Committee on Finance Jan.
• 2003-Feb. 2004 Member, Committee on Commerce Feb.
• 2003 -2008 Member, Haj Committee, India March 2003-Feb.
• 2004 Chairman, Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on the Functioning of Wakf Boards Member, Committee on Information Technology July 2004 -2008 Elected Chairman, Air Charter Operations Committee (Haj), Government of India July 2004 -2008 Member, Court of the Aligarh Muslim University Aug.
• 2004-2006 Member, Committee on Defence Oct.
• 2004 -2008 Member, Consultative Committee for the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology Aug.
• 2006 -2008 Member, Committee on External Affairs July 2010 Elected to Rajya Sabha Aug.
• 2010 onwards Member, Committee on Defence Member, Select Committee to the Wakf (Amendment) Bill, 2010 Member, Consultative Committee for Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas Member, Hindi Salahkar Samiti, Ministry of Civil Aviation May 2011 onwards Member, Committee on Public Undertakings Dec.
• 2011 onwards Vice-President, India-Iran Parliamentary Friendship Group May 2012 onwards Member, Court of the Aligarh Muslim University Oct.
• 2012 onwards Member, Joint Committee on Salaries and Allowances of Members of Parliament
• 2013 December – Member of Hindi Salahakar Samiti for the Rajya Sabha
• 2014 November – Union Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs & Minority Affairs, Government of India.
• 2016- Till 4 July 2016, was MP of Rajya Sabha for Uttar Pradesh. From 8 July 2016 onwards, MP of Rajya Sabha for Jharkhand.