No Muslim Representation in Modi's Cabinet

For the first time in India's history, no Muslim member has been sworn in as a minister immediately after the formation of the government. In other words, the central government led by Narendra Modi does not include any Muslim members. This information comes from a report by the Indian news outlet, Times of India.

In Modi's previous cabinet, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi was the lone Muslim minister. After being elected as a member of the Rajya Sabha, he did not return to Modi's second cabinet, and this trend continues with the current administration.

Historically, following almost every national election in India, at least one Muslim member of the Lok Sabha has been included in the Indian cabinet. This is the first instance where no Muslim representation is observed.

When Modi first became Prime Minister in 2014, Najma Heptulla was sworn in as a Muslim member and served as the Minister of Minority Affairs. In 2019, during Modi's second term, Naqvi held the position of Minority Affairs Minister.

In the recent Lok Sabha elections, 24 Muslim members were elected, with 21 of them belonging to the INDIA alliance. The remaining three include two from Asaduddin Owaisi's All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen and two independents.

Previously, there were four Muslim members in the 2004 cabinet and five in the 2009 cabinet. Even in the 1999 cabinet of Atal Bihari Vajpayee, there were two Muslim members: Shahnawaz Hussain and Omar Abdullah. Before that, in 1998, Naqvi served as a Minister of State in Vajpayee's cabinet