New Delhi: Gulam Ali, a Gurjar Muslim from Jammu and Kashmir, was on Saturday nominated to Rajya Sabha by the government.
This is perhaps for the first time a Gurjar Muslim from the region has been sent to the Upper House as a nominated member.
In exercise of the powers conferred by sub-clause (a) of clause (I) of article 80 of the Constitution of India, read with clause (3) of that article, the President is pleased to nominate Shri Gulam Ali to the Council of States to fill the vacancy caused due to the retirement of one of the nominated members, a notification issued by the Union Home Ministry said.
Jitendra Singh, who holds several portfolios in the Union government, congratulated the latest entrant to the Rajya Sabha on his nomination.
“Ghulam (sic) Ali Khatana ji. Well deserved, long deserved … an opportunity for you to discharge your optimum role in nation building,” Singh said in his tweet.
Ali’s nomination is considered to be significant as before the abrogation of Article 370, the community had little representation in legislative bodies.
The Modi government had abrogated Article 370 in August 2019 and bifurcated the erstwhile state into two Union Territories Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
The article gave a special status to Jammu and Kashmir.
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