PM Modi praised in cabinet meeting, Naqvi and RCP resigned after a few hours

Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and RCP Singh resigned as ministers on Wednesday. The Rajya Sabha term of both ends on Thursday. Earlier in the cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had praised both of them.

Union Minister Naqvi met BJP President Nadda
Earlier, Naqvi had met BJP President JP Nadda. This meeting took place at a time when Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the Union Cabinet meeting lauded the contribution of Naqvi and RCP Singh in the service of the country and the people. Since the appreciation of the Prime Minister, there was speculation that both the ministers would resign soon.

BJP may assign a new role to Naqvi
Naqvi was the Minority Affairs Minister in the Central Government and also the Deputy Leader of the BJP in the Rajya Sabha. In the recently held Rajya Sabha biennial elections, BJP did not field him from anywhere. Since then, there are speculations that the party may make him the Vice Presidential candidate of NDA or Governor of a big state.

Who is Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi
Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi has been the National Vice President of the Bharatiya Janata Party and is currently the Cabinet Minister for Minority Affairs in the Government of India. Born in Prayagraj, Naqvi did his education from Allahabad University. He had to stay in jail when the emergency was declared in the country during the time of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Naqvi was once close to Rajnarayan, the socialist leader who defeated Indira Gandhi in the elections and used to be a socialist under his influence. Later he joined BJP.

Naqvi’s electoral politics
Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi first tried to reach the assembly twice from Sadar assembly seat of Mau district on BJP ticket but failed. In 1991, he lost the election to Imtiaz Ahmed of CPI by just 133 votes. After that, in the 1993 assembly elections, Naseem of BSP defeated him by nearly 10,000 votes.

Contested and won the Lok Sabha elections from Rampur in 1998, this was the first time that a Muslim face had reached the Parliament for the first time after being elected as a candidate of the Bharatiya Janata Party. He was also the Union Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting in the government of Atal Bihari Vajpayee. He has also authored two books, Darkness and Riot.