Kiren Rijiju meets TN MP, Minister on minority welfare

Chennai: Union Minister Kiren Rijiju met Tamil Nadu Minorities Welfare Minister A.M. Shahjahan and a delegation of state officials at his New Delhi residence to discuss minority welfare and empowerment.

Lok Sabha MP K. Navaskani, Tamil Nadu Minorities Welfare Department Secretary V. Dakshinamoorthy and Commissioner for Minority Welfare M. Asia Marim attended the meeting.

In a post about the interaction, Rijiju said they had exchanged views on matters concerning minority communities. The post did not identify specific proposals, funding commitments or decisions arising from the talks.

Rijiju, Union Cabinet Minister for Minority Affairs and Parliamentary Affairs, met the minister and senior officials responsible for minority welfare in Tamil Nadu, allowing the Centre and the state to discuss their work in the sector.

Shahjahan serves in the government led by Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay and his Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK). His participation gave the meeting a platform for the new administration to engage with the Union government. Shahjahan is an Indian Union Muslim League representative in Vijay’s cabinet.

Rijiju has held several portfolios in the Union government. He previously served as Minister of State for Home Affairs and later as Minister of State for Minority Affairs. He also held independent charge of Youth Affairs and Sports before becoming Union Minister for Law and Justice.

His subsequent Cabinet responsibilities included Earth Sciences and a brief stint overseeing Food Processing Industries. He took charge of Parliamentary Affairs and Minority Affairs in 2024.

The discussions come as the Vijay government begins setting out its priorities after taking office this year. The presence of the state’s department secretary and commissioner meant both the political leadership and the officials who administer minority welfare programmes were represented.

Rijiju described the interaction as warm but offered no further account of the issues raised. Any follow-up on schemes or coordination between the two governments has yet to be announced.

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The Hans India