First in history India has no Muslim representation in parliament after the resignation of Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi on Wednesday (6/7).
Naqvi resigned the day before his term expired. He is the only Muslim minister of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Naqvi’s resignation comes as the BJP has been accused of mistreating the minority community since 2014.
However, some outlets believe that the BJP may consider Naqvi as India’s vice president amid global outrage after one of their politicians made anti-Islamic statements.
[Gambas:Video CNN]The vice-presidential election in India will take place on August 6. Meanwhile, the term of the current outgoing Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu will end on August 10.
Previously, the BJP nominated Draupadi Murmu as president last June. If she wins, Murmu will become the first female politician from an Indian ethnic group and the second woman to hold the post.
The Indian constitution provides for a ceremonial role for the president and vice president. The prime minister and his cabinet hold executive power.
The BJP has 301 members in the lower house of the Indian parliament so far. Naqvi’s exit further shows that this right-wing party has no Muslim members in the lower or upper houses of parliament.
Experts say the lack of Muslim representation in the elected ranks of the BJP goes against the party’s slogan: harmony and inclusive growth for all.
Indian political analyst Arati Jerath claims that the BJP has always had a real Muslim presence, but this is not the case when it comes to the executive.
“It’s something new and unusual. They don’t even have a Muslim face anymore. I guess it shows how the BJP has changed now under Modi and [Menteri Dalam Negeri federal Amit] Shah,” Jerath reportedly said AlJazeera.
He then said, “Openly [BJP] showed that we can win elections without the support of Muslims.”
In the 2014 general elections, the BJP fielded seven Muslims. However, neither of them won, although Modi’s party got a lot of support.
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