The 72-member cabinet, comprising 30 ministers and 41 ministers of state, is notably devoid of Muslim representation.
NEW DELHI: The newly formed cabinet of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has raised eyebrows by excluding any Muslim ministers, further highlighting Modi’s anti-Muslim stance, according to Indian media reports.
The 72-member cabinet, comprising 30 ministers and 41 ministers of state, is notably devoid of Muslim representation. While the cabinet includes five minority members, the absence of Muslim ministers has drawn criticism.
Reports suggest that the lack of Muslim ministers stems from the failure of any Muslim candidates outside of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its coalition to secure election in the recent Lok Sabha polls. Despite the option to appoint a Muslim party leader as a minister of state or adviser, Modi opted not to do so.
Out of the 24 successful Muslim candidates in the Lok Sabha elections, 21 belong to the opposition alliance ‘India’, one represents the India Majlis Ittehad Muslimeen, and two are independents.
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This departure from precedent is striking, as past Indian cabinets have typically included Muslim ministers. Both of Modi’s previous cabinets, formed in 2014 and 2019, featured Muslim representation. The Congress government in 2004 and 2009 had four and five Muslim ministers respectively, while even during the tenure of former Prime Minister Vajpayee in 1999, his BJP-led coalition cabinet included two Muslim ministers.
