Ministers Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, RCP Singh resign a day before their RS term ends

Union ministers Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and RCP Singh resigned from their posts on Wednesday, a day before the end of their term as Rajya Sabha members. Both the ministers were nominated by their parties to the Upper House of Parliament.

Naqvi held charge of the minority affairs ministry while Singh headed the steel ministry. Union women and child development minister Smriti Irani has been given the additional charge of minority affairs ministry while Jyotiraditya Scindia has been given the charge of steel ministry.

During the Cabinet meeting on Wednesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi thanked the two ministers for their contribution and wished them a great future ahead.


With Naqvi resigning and his Rajya Sabha term ending, there will be no Muslim face in the Union Council of Ministers and among the BJP's 395 Members of Parliament.

Later in the day Naqvi met the BJP's national president JP Nadda at the party office and thanked him. After the meeting he went to meet the PM at his residence.

Speculation on Naqvi's future role has gained momentum after the resignation.

Singh went to meet Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan at his residence. He was earlier denied nomination from his party, the JDU, which had nominated Jharkhand unit chief Khiru Mahto to the Rajya Sabha. Since then it was expected that Singh would resign from the Union cabinet. JDU leaders were also demanding his resignation on moral grounds.

Singh has maintained his silence on the issues within the party. With his resignation, there is no JDU leader in the Union cabinet.

With Singh's resignation, there are only two ministers at the Centre from BJP allies - Ramdas Athawale from the RPI(A) and Anupriya Patel from the Apna Dal.