Mohsin Raza

Mohsin Raza (born 15 January 1968) is an Indian politician from the state of Uttar Pradesh. He is the Minister of State for Minority Welfare Muslim Waqf and Hajj of the state in the Yogi Adityanath ministry.

Mohsin Raza
Minister of State for Minority Welfare, Muslim Waqf and Hajj, Government of Uttar Pradesh
In office
19 March 2017 – 25 March 2022
Preceded byAzam Khan
Succeeded byDanish Azad Ansari
Member of Legislative Council
Assumed office
2018
Constituency"elected by Legislative Assembly members"
Member of Legislative Council
In office
2017–2018
Personal details
Born (1968-01-15) 15 January 1968
Unnao, Uttar Pradesh, India
Political partyBharatiya Janata Party
Spouse
Fauzia Sarwar Fatima
​
​
(m. 2001)​

Raza is a Muslim by faith and comes from a family of landowners that traces their roots to the city of Sufis Safipur. He represented Uttar Pradesh in the Ranji Trophy. He also had a career in modelling and acting, and was also crowned as Prince Lucknow in 1995. In 2013, he joined the Bharatiya Janata Party and was elevated to the post of its spokesperson. Following the party's victory in the 2017 Assembly election of Uttar Pradesh, he was made a Minister of State and given the portfolios of Science & Technology, Information Technology & Electronics, Muslim Waqf and Haj of the state[1] & Incharge of Amethi.[2] In August 2019 (Uttar Pradesh Cabinet Reshuffle) Raza was appointed Minister of State for Minority Welfare, Muslim Waqf & Hajj.

Personal life

Raza was born in Unnao[3] (the city of Uttar Pradesh state) on 15 January 1968. He hails from a family of zamindars (landowners) which traces its roots to the city of Sufis Safipur.[4] He is the son of Late Syed Jina Raza Naqvi. Father Jina was known as a person of great perseverance.[5] Raza is a Shia by faith. His wife Fauzia Sarwar Fatima is a daughter of time- honoured Businessman and belongs to a Sunni Family. She contested a local election in Safipur.[3] They have two children.

Early career

Raza started his cricketing career with the MRF Pace Foundation (located in Chennai) and went on to represent his state, Uttar Pradesh in the Ranji Trophy[6] in First-class cricket.

Raza also had a career in modelling and in the film industry. He acted in the television drama Neem ka Ped which aired in DD National. He was also crowned winner of the "Prince Lucknow" title in 1995.[7]

Political career

His political career was inspired by Atal Bihari Vajpayee.[8] Prior to the 2014 Indian general election, Raza joined the Bharatiya Janata Party and was made the spokesperson of the party in 2015.[9] The 2017 Assembly election was won by the Bharatiya Janata Party with Yogi Adityanath being sworn in as the chief minister of the state. The party did not field any Muslim candidate in any one of the 403 assembly constituencies.[4] He was made a Minister of State and given the portfolios of Science & Technology, Information Technology & Electronics, Muslim Waqf and Haj[1] and became the only Muslim in the ministry of Yogi Adityanath.[10] With Raza not being a member of either Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly or Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council, it was required for him to get elected to any of the bodies within six months of his appointment.[11]

On 11 September 2017, Raza was elected unopposed to the Legislative Council.[12]

Views

Bharatiya Janata Party

Raza is of the opinion that the Bharatiya Janata Party is not an anti-Islamic party. According to him, the Indian National Congress party has made the Muslim community feel that the Bharatiya Janata Party is against Muslims. He also said that his party did not indulge in the politics of votebank.[13]

Triple Talaq
See also: Triple Talaq in India

Triple Talaq is a controversial method of unilateral divorce amongst Muslims where the husband divorces his wife by announcing the word "Talaq" thrice. Raza feels that this practice is against the Constitution of India and should be banned. He also said that a new law for divorce must be drafted and this practice harasses woman. He is also of the opinion of banning the All India Muslim Personal Law Board for supporting the Triple Talaq.[14]

All India Muslim Personal Law Board

Mohsin Raza called for a ban on All India Muslim Personal Law Board for supporting triple talaq and described it as an unconstitutional entity ."AIMPLB should not be called Muslim Personal Law Board but a Maulawi (cleric) Personal Law Board. Such an organisation should be banned as it does not work for the welfare of society but endorses a practice like triple talaq which is exploitation of women,“ Mohsin said.[15]

Madrassas in mainstream education

The Uttar Pradesh minister Raza favoured introducing a "new dress code" for students at madrassas (Islamic schools) across the country and added that he will take up the issue with the centre. He added government in Uttar Pradesh wants to bring madrassas in the mainstream education system. And why only in UP, I think all these religious institutions across the country should be brought into mainstream", he told PTI. Raza said he intends to discuss the issue with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.[16]

Haj Subsidy

Raza says It is the poor who deserve government subsidy for Haj pilgrimage, not the affluent Muslims, He added that it would be his priority to ensure 'deserving Muslims' get Haj subsidy. "We will only let jayaz (deserving) persons, who don’t have means to go on their own, to go. If a person is a multi-millionaire he should not make the pilgrimage on government money. We are reviewing the rules and will announce a decision soon."[17]

References
  1. "U.P. Minister Mohsin Raza elected to Legislative Council; BJP wins all five seats". The Hindu. PTI. 11 September 2017. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 2 February 2019.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  2. "Raza reviews progress of development works in Amethi". India Today. Press Trust of India. 21 May 2017. Retrieved 30 March 2019.
  3. "योगी मंत्रिमंडल में मुस्लिम मंत्री मोहसिन रजा, पत्नी है एमबीए पास". www.patrika.com (in Hindi). Retrieved 2 February 2019.
  4. "Who is Mohsin Raza, the lone Muslim face in Yogi Adityanath's cabinet?". The Indian Express. Retrieved 12 August 2017.
  5. "Lucknow: Ex-cricketer now lone muslim minister". The Indian Express. Retrieved 12 August 2017.
  6. "Meet Mohsin Raza, lone Muslim member in Yogi Adityanath's ministry in UP". South Live. Archived from the original on 12 August 2017. Retrieved 12 August 2017.
  7. "All you need to know about Mohsin Raza, BJP-led UP govt's sole Muslim minister". DNA India. Retrieved 12 August 2017.
  8. "Mohsin Raza prays for Atal Bihari Vajpayee's health - Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 2 February 2019.
  9. Jagat Narayan Singh (19 March 2017). "Meet Yogi Adityanath's lone Muslim minister Mohsin Raza in UP Cabinet". India Today. Retrieved 2 February 2019.
  10. "UP Cabinet 2017: Mohsin Raza, lone Muslim Minister in Yogi Adityanath govt, gets Minority portfolio". India. Retrieved 12 August 2017.
  11. "Meet Yogi Adityanath's lone Muslim minister Mohsin Raza in UP Cabinet". India Today. Retrieved 12 August 2017.
  12. "U.P. Minister Mohsin Raza elected to Legislative Council; BJP wins all five seats". The Hindu. 11 September 2017. Retrieved 20 October 2017.
  13. "Mohsin Raza, lone Muslim face in UP's Saffron brigade". The Times of India. Retrieved 12 August 2017.
  14. "Ban AIMPLB for endorsing triple talaq: UP minister Mohsin Raza". The Times of India. Retrieved 13 August 2017.
  15. "The Times Group". epaperbeta.timesofindia.com. Archived from the original on 27 March 2019. Retrieved 2 February 2019.
  16. "Uttar Pradesh govt wants to bring madrassas in mainstream education: MoS Mohsin Raza". The Indian Express. 5 August 2018. Retrieved 2 February 2019.
  17. Sharma, Aman (25 March 2017). "UP minister Mohsin Raza wants rich Muslims to give up Haj Subsidy". The Economic Times. Retrieved 2 February 2019.
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