BJP sends Muslims abroad to showcase unity, but none in cabinet back home

May 23, 2025 by News Desk

The recent militant attack in Pahalgam has reignited concerns about terrorism in India, it has also thrown into sharp relief the contradictions in the BJP-led government’s approach to minorities—particularly Muslims.

In response to the attack, the Modi government announced the formation of seven international delegations to highlight India’s “zero-tolerance” policy towards terrorism. These delegations—comprising 59 leaders from across the political spectrum—will visit the UN, EU, Gulf nations, Africa, the U.S., and East Asia to garner international support against Pakistan-backed militancy.

Among the 59 delegates are 10 prominent Muslim leaders, including Ghulam Nabi Azad, Salman Khurshid, M.J. Akbar, Asad u Din Owaisi, and E.T. Mohammed Basheer.

Their inclusion is being cited as evidence of India’s diversity and unity. However, critics have pointed out a glaring irony: despite their international visibility, Muslims continue to have zero representation in the Union Cabinet or among BJP’s 303 MPs in the Lok Sabha.

This duality—promoting Muslim faces abroad while sidelining them at home—has raised questions about the BJP’s commitment to true inclusivity. If these Muslim leaders are deemed capable of representing India on the global stage, why are they not considered fit for domestic leadership roles?

Observers argue this tokenism reduces Muslims to symbolic representatives, deployed to deflect international criticism while structural exclusion continues unabated.

India’s Muslim population, numbering over 200 million, has historically played a vital role in the nation’s development. Yet today, not a single Muslim serves as a minister in the Union Cabinet. Critics view this as not merely political oversight, but deliberate marginalisation.