Lucknow, Sep 8 (IANS) Former UP Minister and cricketer Mohsin Raza was on Tuesday appointed Chairman of the Uttar Pradesh State Minority Commission, with cabinet rank.
Associated with the BJP for a long time, Raza previously served as Minister of State for Minority Welfare, Muslim Waqf and Hajj in the Yogi Adityanath government, which came to power in 2017.
He has also served as a member of the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council. With his appointment to head the Minority Commission, Raza’s role has once again assumed significance in state politics.
Shortly before assuming his new responsibility, Raza met Chief Minister Adityanath. During the meeting, held on August 12, he raised the issue of alleged irregularities in the state’s Waqf Boards.
Raza demanded a district-level Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe into the properties of both Waqf Boards and called for a special audit. According to Raza, there were previously more than two lakh registered Waqf properties in the state, but their number has now declined to around 1.27 lakh.
He alleged that the Waqf Boards were not properly audited under previous governments, claiming that this resulted in more than 70,000 properties disappearing from official records or being illegally occupied. These allegations, however, would need to be established through an investigation.
Raza’s identity is not limited to politics. He has also represented Uttar Pradesh in the Ranji Trophy and has been associated with modelling and acting. In 1995, he was named the “Prince of Lucknow.”
Raza joined the BJP ahead of the 2014 Lok Sabha elections and was subsequently appointed as a party spokesperson. Following the formation of the Yogi Adityanath government in 2017, he was given ministerial responsibilities.
With his appointment as Chairman of the Uttar Pradesh State Minority Commission and the conferment of cabinet rank, Raza has been given an important responsibility within the state government. His new position is expected to give him a significant role in matters concerning minority welfare and related issues.
Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak congratulated Raza on his appointment and said, “Hearty congratulations to Shri Mohsin Raza ji on being appointed as the Hon’ble Chairman of Uttar Pradesh State Minority Commission and best wishes for a bright tenure.”
