Lucknow, September 8 (TNA) The Uttar Pradesh government has appointed former minister and BJP leader Mohsin Raza as chairperson of the State Minority Commission, conferring on him the rank of a cabinet minister. The new assignment marks a return to a key minority-welfare role for Raza, who earlier served in the Yogi Adityanath cabinet as minister of state for minority welfare, Muslim Waqf and Haj department.
Raza, a long-time BJP functionary, joined the party ahead of the 2014 Lok Sabha elections and was subsequently made a party spokesperson. After the BJP formed the government in Uttar Pradesh under Yogi Adityanath in 2017, he was inducted into the council of ministers and given charge of the minority welfare portfolio. He has also been a member of the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council.
The appointment places Raza at the helm of the state body tasked with safeguarding the interests of minority communities and advising the government on policy and implementation issues affecting them. According to the government’s announcement, the chairperson will now enjoy the status and perks of a cabinet minister, underlining the importance attached to the commission’s role.