2026 State Assembly Elections. A turning point in India. Part-2

 

This brings us to the second part of this blog – to discuss the core issue – whether this whole anti Muslim narrative is only a post 2014 development or does the truth lie elsewhere? Lets look at the Muslim political situation from 1947 onwards. After all nobody can claim that Modi/Shah/ BJP were around in 1947.

1. The Muslim population in the 1951 census was 9.8% or 35.4 Mil Muslims with Hindus being 84.1% or 303.7 Mil Hindus in a total of 361 Mil.
2. In the 2011 census, the Muslim population was 14.2 % or 172 Mil Muslims with Hindus being 79.8% or 966.3 Mil Hindus.
3. The estimates for 2025 are a Muslim population of 15%+ or 215+ Mil Muslims and Hindus being 77% or more than a Billion.

So how has the political class treated the Muslim community since 1947? In this analysis J & K is excluded for obvious reasons and examined in the end.

How many Muslims have become Chief Ministers of a state ?

1. Barkattullah Khan in Rajasthan between 1971-1973.
2. Abdul Ghafoor in Bihar between 1973-1975
3. Syeda Taimur in Assam between 1980-1981
4. AR Antulay in Maharashtra between 1980-1982
5. Mohammed Koya in Kerala in 1979
6. Alimuddin in Manipur in the 70’s
7. Farook in Puducherry in brief stints till the last one in 1990

So the last time a Muslim was made CM was in 1990, 24 years prior to 2014 and most others ended in 1982, a full 32 years before Modi 2014.

1. General secretary of any Communist party in India - ZERO.
2. President of the Congress party – ZERO. The last time a Muslim was the President of the Congress party was Maulana Azad in 1946. Between 1887 and 1947 (60 yrs) out of 98 presidents, only 9 were Muslims and since 1947 – ZERO.
3. DMK, AIADMK, NCP, JD, TMC, AAP, SP, BJD, SAD, TDP – ZERO.
4. India is said to have 263 political parties in India, and 19 of these which are Muslim parties, have a Muslim as the leader.

Lets look at the Muslims who have occupied a high seat in the Communist pantheon Politburo since 1947 - and how many names do you recognise?

1. Muzzafar Ahmad
2. Mohammed Amin
3. Mohammed Salim
4. Hannan Mollah

The national executive of the CPI is run by a Husband/Wife team and has one Muslim face, Syed Azeez Pasha.

Coming to the All India Congress Committee since 1947.

1. Maulana Azad
2. Rafi Kidwai
3. Muhammad Ibrahim
4. Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed
5. Syed Mir Qasim
6. Jaffer Sheriff
7. AR Antulay
8. Ahmed Patel
9. Ghulam Nabi Azad
10. Salman Khusrhid
11. Tariq Anwar

The current AICC has a Ghulam Ahmed in Bengal. A total of just 11 over 79 years and just 2 in 2026.

Lets look at the Union Cabinet Ministers of India since 1947.

1. Over 79 years, just 43 Muslims have become Ministers in the union cabinet. Of which 21 were from Congress, 6 from BJP and the rest from other parties.
2. External Affairs Minister – ONE, Salman Khurshid between 2012 and 2014
3. Union Home Minister – ONE, Mufti Sayyed between 1989 – 1990 during which the Govt had to release 5 terrorists for saving his daughter.

Let’s continue, again since 1947.

1. Foreign Secretary of India – ONE, Salman Haider in 1997 – Served under PV Narasimha Rao, AB Vajpayee and HD Deve Gowda.
2. Union Home Secretary of India - ZERO
3. Defence Secretary of India - ZERO
4. Finance Secretary of India - ZERO
5. Cabinet Secretary of India – ONE, Zafar Saifullah in 1994 under PV Narasimha Rao
6. Chief Justice of Supreme Court – THREE, Hidayutullah in 1970, Mirza Beg in 1978 and Aziz Ahmadi in 1997.
7. Air Chief Marshal – ONE, IH Latif in 1978-1981.
8. Chief of Army & Navy – ZERO
9. Most of the Paramilitary units in India have had ZERO Muslims as DGP barring one or two exceptions.
10. The one notable exception is that several state governments have had a Muslim DGP of Police.

Lets look at Finance or Home ministers in state governments.

1. Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed, Finance in Assam between 1957 to 1966
2. Home Minister of a state – ZERO

One look at these facts will demonstrate that successive governments and political parties since 1947 have done little to nurture, educate, promote, a Muslim to head any key position across India. At best they have been symbolic and in a rare exception a leadership position under the thumb of a supremo of the party.

Why this was so, what were the reasons, is this fair or unfair, is discriminatory, etc is NOT the subject of this piece. The intent is to showcase the LIE that somehow post 2014 the Muslim fraternity has been discriminated. The REAL question to ask is what the various political parties have done since 1947? Have they walked the talk within themselves or have the secular liberals used Muslims as cannon fodder? The narrative however is what BJP has not done. The expectation is that BJP must do what none else who enjoy and get the unequivocal support of the Muslim community have not done for 79 years. Right from the time when the Congress brought in the Communal Violence Bill which automatically deemed the majority community guilty in any riot and up to them to prove innocence, here again the logic is the same. The party that does NOT enjoy the support of the community must go out of its way to demonstrate its loyalty.

See and read this as others are also busting this myth in their own way.

Delusion of a LIberal

But to answer those who are pointing a finger at the BJP, here is something to ponder about.

Unless a party gets elected to power, they can’t implement any idea they have. However flawed, we celebrate our democracy since 1947 and credit Nehru for it. But if the same democracy throws up a result that a section of society disagrees with, maybe they need to be tolerant to different opinions rather than blame the system and everything including the kitchen sink. Between 1947 to 2014, including during the 1998-2004 Vajpayee government, the same folks celebrated our democracy, and, in this period, there was a section of society that disagreed with the politics of 67 years but tolerated the difference. Liberal tolerance is a 2-way street.

J & K which I excluded in my analysis showcases the exact same behaviour.

Post 1947 no Hindu has ever been made Home Minister and Post 1975 no Hindu as Finance Minister in the J & K state govt. The Chief Minister post has stayed with 2 families for most times but again none from Jammu region and only Muslims from the valley. Hindus constitute about 28% of population as per 2011 census but have no voice and as history shows the Pandits were thrown out of the state. Today their population is estimated at less than 3,400 people. The 1981 census pegged their number at around 124,000 people. Yet the same liberals will never even ask the same question as to why 28% of the population has no real presentation and is just token? Same logic holds good for the Ladakh region historically. This argument clearly is a two way street unlike what some would like us to believe.

What the Congress and other so called secular parties have NEVER done for decades is not questioned but demand that BJP do what the rest should have done since 1947. Its always the majority that is held up to not just the highest level of standards in conduct but also the most selfless with no reciprocation by anybody. Till recently that burden was carried but the community is pushing back. The law “Anything in excess is poison” is kicking in for the secular liberal eco-system who are unable to deal with it.

The answer lies in the secular liberal eco-system asking real questions rather then trying to protect their sinecures and ivory castles to which they have become accustomed to for long. The nation does not need this hypocrisy to become truly pluralist.

For the academically minded who want to see the list of all Muslim ministers in India since 1947 in the central government, here it is.

Name	Portfolios	Ministry	Took office	Left office	Party
Maulana Abul Kalam Azad	Minister of Education	Jawaharlal Nehru (I)	15 August 1947	Second Nehru ministry	INC
	Minister of Education, Natural Resources and Scientific Research	Jawaharlal Nehru (II)	15 April 1952	Third Nehru ministry	INC
	Minister of Education	Jawaharlal Nehru (III)	15 August 1947	22 February 1958	INC
Rafi Ahmed Kidwai	Minister of Communications	Jawaharlal Nehru (I)	15 August 1947	15 April 1952	INC
	Minister of Food and Agriculture	Jawaharlal Nehru (I)	15 August 1947	1954	INC
Syed Mahmud	Minister of State (External Affairs)	Jawaharlal Nehru (II)	7 December 1954	Third Nehru ministry	INC
Hafiz Mohammad Ibrahim	Minister of Irrigation and Power	Jawaharlal Nehru (III)	13 March 1958	Fourth Nehru ministry	INC
	Minister of Irrigation and Power	Jawaharlal Nehru (IV)	Third Nehru ministry	27 May 1964	INC
Humayun Kabir	Minister of State (Transport and Communications)	Jawaharlal Nehru (III)	17 April 1957	13 March 1958	INC
	Minister of Scientific Research and Culture	Jawaharlal Nehru (III)	13 March 1958	Fourth Nehru ministry	INC
	Minister of Education	Jawaharlal Nehru (IV)	1 September 1963	21 November 1963	INC
	Minister of Scientific Research and Cultural Affairs	Jawaharlal Nehru (IV)	10 April 1962	21 November 1963	(ministry abolished)
	Minister of Petroleum and Chemicals	Jawaharlal Nehru (IV)	21 November 1963	27 May 1964	INC
	Minister of Petroleum and Chemicals	Gulzari Lal Nanda (I)	27 May 1964	9 June 1964	INC
	Minister of Petroleum and Chemicals	Lal Bahadur Shastri	9 June 1964	11 January 1966	INC
	Minister of Petroleum and Chemicals	Gulzari Lal Nanda (II)	11 January 1966	24 January 1966	INC
Mohammadali Carim Chagla	Minister of Education	Jawaharlal Nehru (III)	21 November 1963	13 November 1966	MNP
	Minister of Education	Gulzarilal Nanda (Acting)	21 November 1963	13 November 1966	MNP
	Minister of Education	Lal Bahadur Shastri	21 November 1963	13 November 1966	MNP
	Minister of Education	Indira Gandhi (I)	21 November 1963	13 November 1966	MNP
	Minister of External Affairs	Indira Gandhi (I)	14 November 1966	5 September 1967	MNP
Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed	Minister of Irrigation and Power	Indira Gandhi (I)	29 January 1966	14 November 1966	INC
	Minister of Education (and Youth Services from 14 February 1969)	Indira Gandhi (I)	14 November 1966	13 March 1967	INC
	Minister of Industrial Development and Company Affairs	Indira Gandhi (I)	13 March 1967	27 June 1970	INC
	Minister of Agriculture (and Food from 1967)	Indira Gandhi (I)	27 June 1970	15 March 1971	INC
	Minister of Food and Agriculture	Indira Gandhi (II)	18 March 1971	1974	INC
Shah Nawaz Khan	Minister of State (Steel and Mines)	Indira Gandhi (II)	2 May 1971	5 February 1973	INC
	Minister of Supply	Indira Gandhi (II)	5 February 1973	1974
Nurul Hasan	Minister of State (Education and Social Welfare)	Indira Gandhi (II)	4 October 1971	1974	INC
Arif Beg	Minister of State (Ministry of Commerce, Civil Supplies and Cooperation)	Morarji Desai	14 August 1977	28 July 1979	BJP
Sikandar Bakht	Minister of Works and Housing and Supply and Rehabilitation	Morarji Desai	24 March 1977	28 July 1979	BJP
	Minister of External Affairs Minister of Urban Affairs and Employment	Atal Bihari Vajpayee (I)	16 May 1996	1 June 1996	BJP
	Minister of Industry	Atal Bihari Vajpayee (II)	19 March 1998	13 October 1999	BJP
Fazlur Rehman	Minister of Labour	Charan Singh	28 July 1979	14 January 1980	INC
Mohammad Shafi Qureshi	Minister of Tourism and Civil Aviation	Charan Singh	28 July 1979	14 January 1980	JP(S)
Zulfiquarulla	Minister of Communications and Muslim Waqfs	Charan Singh	28 July 1979	14 January 1980	JP(S)
C K Jaffer Sharief	Minister of Railways	Indira Gandhi (III)	14 Jan 1980	31 October 1984	INC
	Minister of Railways	P. V. Narasimha Rao	21 June 1991	17 October 1995	INC
A B A Ghani Khan Choudhury	Minister of Railways	Indira Gandhi (III)	2 September 1982	Rajiv Gandhi Ministry	INC
	Minister of Programme Implementation	Rajiv Gandhi	25 September 1985	4 May 1987	INC
Ziaur Rehman Ansari	Minister of State in the Ministry of Shipping and Transport	Indira Gandhi (III)	29 January 1983	31 December 1984	INC
	Minister of Environment and Forest	Rajiv Gandhi	25 June 1988	1 December 1989	INC
Arif Mohammad Khan	Minister of State in the Ministries of Agriculture	Indira Gandhi (III)	29 January 1983	7 February 1984	INC
	Minister of State in the Ministries of Energy	Indira Gandhi (III)	7 February 1984	31 December 1984	INC
	Minister of Civil Aviation & Minister of Energy	Vishwanath Pratap Singh	2 December 1989	10 November 1990	JD
Khurshed Alam Khan	Minister of State (Independent Charge) Ministry of Tourism & Civil Aviation	Indira Gandhi (III)	14 February 1983	31 December 1984	INC
	Ministry of Tourism, Civil aviation and Commerce	Rajiv Gandhi	1984	November 1986	INC
Mohsina Kidwai	Minister of State in the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare	Indira Gandhi (III)	29 January 1983	2 August 1984	INC
	Minister of Health and Family Welfare	Rajiv Gandhi	31 December 1984	24 June 1986	INC
	Minister of Railways	Rajiv Gandhi	24 June 1986	21 October 1986	INC
	Minister of Transport	Rajiv Gandhi	24 June 1986	22 October 1986	INC
	Minister of Urban Development	Rajiv Gandhi	22 October 1986	1 December 1989	INC
	Minister of Tourism	Rajiv Gandhi	14 February 1988	25 June 1988	INC
Mohammad Usman Arif	Deputy Minister in the Ministry of Works and Housing	Indira Gandhi (III)	8 June 1980	15 January 1982	INC
Mufti Mohammad Sayeed	Minister of Tourism	Rajiv Gandhi	12 May 1986	14 July 1987	INC
	Minister of Home Affairs	Vishwanath Pratap Singh	2 December 1989	Chandra Shekhar Ministry	JD
Abdul Gafoor	Minister of Works and housing	Rajiv Gandhi	31 December 1984	25 September 1985	INC
	Minister of Urban Development	Rajiv Gandhi	25 September 1985	22 October 1986	INC
Shakeelur Rahman	Minister of Health and Family Welfare	Chandra Shekhar	21 November 1990	20 February 1991	SJR
Sarwar Hussain	Minister of State in the Ministry of Food and Civil Supplies	Chandra Shekhar	21 November 1990	20 February 1991	JD
Ghulam Nabi Azad	Minister of Parliamentary Affairs	P. V. Narasimha Rao	21 June 1991	18 January 1993	INC
	Minister of Civil Aviation & Minister of Tourism	P. V. Narasimha Rao	9 January 1993	16 May 1996	INC
	Minister of Urban Development	Manmohan Singh (I)	22 May 2004	1 November 2005	INC
	Minister of Health and Family Welfare	Manmohan Singh (II)	22 May 2009	26 May 2014	INC
A R Antulay	Minister of Civil Supplies, Consumer Affairs, and Public Distribution	P. V. Narasimha Rao	18 January 1993	8 February 1995	INC
	Minister of Water Resources	P. V. Narasimha Rao	7 February 1995	16 May 1996	INC
Salman Khurshid	Ministry of External Affairs	P. V. Narasimha Rao	18 January 1993	16 May 1996	INC
	Minister of Law and Justice	Manmohan Singh (II)	12 July 2011	28 October 2012	INC
	Minister of External Affairs	Manmohan Singh (II)	28 October 2012	26 May 2014	INC
C M Ibrahim	Minister of Information & Broadcasting	H. D. Deve Gowda	1 June 1996	21 April 1997	JD
	Minister of Civil Aviation	H. D. Deve Gowda	1 June 1996	21 April 1997	JD
	Minister of Civil Aviation	Inder Kumar Gujral	21 April 1997	19 March 1998	JD
Saifuddin Soz	Minister of Environment and Forests	H. D. Deve Gowda	21 February 1997	21 April 1997	JKNC
	Minister of Forests and Environment	Inder Kumar Gujral	21 April 1997	19 March 1998	JKNC
	Minister of Water Resources	Manmohan Singh (I)	29 January 2006	22 May 2009	INC
Mohammed Maqbool Dar	Ministry of Home Affairs	H. D. Deve Gowda	10 July 1996	19 March 1998	JD
Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi	Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting	Atal Bihari Vajpayee (II)	19 March 1998	12 October 1999	JP(S)
Syed Shahnawaz Hussain	Minister of state in the Ministry of Agriculture	Atal Bihari Vajpayee (III)	13 October 1999	27 May 2000	BJP
	Minister of Coal	Atal Bihari Vajpayee (III)	8 February 2001	1 September 2001	BJP
	Minister of Civil Aviation	Atal Bihari Vajpayee (III)	1 September 2001	24 May 2003	BJP
	Minister of Textiles	Atal Bihari Vajpayee (III)	24 May 2003	22 May 2004	BJP
Omar Abdullah	Minister of state in the Ministry of Commerce & Industry	Atal Bihari Vajpayee (III)	13 October 1999	22 July 2001	JKNC
	Minister of state in the Ministry of External Affairs	Atal Bihari Vajpayee (III)	22 July 2001	23 December 2002	JKNC
E Ahamed	Minister of State in the Ministry of External Affairs	Manmohan Singh (I)	23 May 2004	22 May 2009	AIUML
	Ministry of External Affairs	Manmohan Singh (II)	19 January 2011	26 May 2014	AIUML
Shakeel Ahmad	Minister of State in the Ministry of Home Affairs.	Manmohan Singh (I)	6 April 2008	22 May 2009	INC
Md Ali Ashraf Fatmi	Minister of State in the Ministry of Human Resource Development.	Manmohan Singh (I)	23 May 2004	22 May 2009	RJD
Tariq Anwar	Ministry of Agriculture	Manmohan Singh (II)	28 October 2012	26 May 2014	NCP
Farooq Abdullah	Minister of New and Renewable Energy	Manmohan Singh (II)	28 May 2009	26 May 2014	NC
Sultan Ahmed	Ministry of Tourism	Manmohan Singh (II)	28 May 2009	22 September 2012	AITC
Najma A Heptulla	Minister of Minority Affairs	Narendra Modi (I)	26 May 2014	12 July 2016	BJP
Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi	Minister of Minority Affairs	Narendra Modi (I)	12 July 2016	Second Narendra Modi Ministry	BJP
	Minister of State in the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs		9 November 2014	3 September 2017
	Minister of Minority Affairs	Narendra Modi (II)	30 May 2019	06 July 2022	BJP
M J Akbar	Minister of State in the Ministry of External Affairs	Narendra Modi (I)	5 July 2016	17 October 2018	BJP