Vinay Katiyar
MP of Rajya Sabha for Uttar Pradesh
In office
3 April 2012 – 2 April 2018
Succeeded byKanta Kardam, BJP
Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha
In office
1991-1998, 1999-2004
Preceded byMitrasen Yadav
Succeeded byMitrasen Yadav
ConstituencyAyodhya
Founder-President of Bajrang Dal
In office
1984–1995
Preceded byJaibhan Singh Pawaiya
Personal details
Born (1954-11-11) 11 November 1954 (age 69)
Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, India
Political partyBJP
SpouseRam Bethi
EducationB.Com
Alma materVikramajit Singh Sanatan Dharma College , Kanpur University

Vinay Katiyar (born 11 November 1954)[1] is a politician and the founder-president of Bajrang Dal, the youth wing of the Hindu nationalist organisation Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) in India. He has served as an All India General Secretary of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and as a Member of Parliament in both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha.

Life and career

Katiyar was born to Devi Charan Katiyar and Shyam Kali in Kanpur.[2] He holds a bachelor's degree in Commerce from Kanpur University.[1]

Katiyar started his political journey with Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), the student wing of the Sangh Parivar. He was the organizing secretary of ABVP's Uttar Pradesh state unit from 1970 to 1974, and the convener of the Jayaprakash Narayan's Bihar Movement in 1974. He became a pracharak (full-time worker) of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) in 1980. He founded the Hindu Jagran Manch in 1982. In 1984, he was chosen to start the new youth organisation Bajrang Dal to support the Ram Janmabhoomi movement.[1][3]

Later, Katiyar served as the President of Uttar Pradesh State Unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party from 2002 to 18 July 2004 and the national General Secretary of the BJP from 2006.[1]

Katiyar was elected to the Lok Sabha from the Ayodhya (Lok Sabha constituency) to the 10th, 11th and 13th Lok Sabha in 1991, 1996 and 1999, and to the Rajya Sabha as a representative of Uttar Pradesh in 2012.[1]

Controversies

In a 2018 interview with ANI, Katiyar said that there was no need for Muslims to remain in India in the wake of its Partition, and that Muslims in India should, instead, move to Pakistan or Bangladesh.[4][5][6] These views were shared after his comments about the Taj Mahal, claiming that the monument was a Hindu temple in the period of Aurangzeb's rule and implied that it would soon be returned to its 'original state' through its destruction.[7][8]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e "Detailed profile of Members of Parliament : Shri Vinay Katiyar". Government of India. Retrieved 18 December 2014.
  2. ^ "No cake walk for Vinay Katiyar". The Hindu. 4 May 2004. Archived from the original on 13 December 2014.
  3. ^ Jaffrelot, Christophe (1996). The Hindu Nationalist Movement and Indian Politics. C. Hurst & Co. Publishers. p. 363. ISBN 978-1850653011.
  4. ^ Staff, The Wire. "BJP's Vinay Katiyar Continues His Hate-Mongering, Says Muslims Should Leave India - The Wire". thewire.in. Retrieved 20 February 2018.
  5. ^ "Muslims should not stay in India: BJP MP Vinay Katiyar". The Indian Express. 7 February 2018. Retrieved 20 February 2018.
  6. ^ "Hate Speech From BJP's Vinay Katiyar: "Why Do Muslims Live In India?"". NDTV.com. Retrieved 20 February 2018.
  7. ^ Scroll Staff. "Taj Mahal will soon become 'Tej Mandir', says BJP MP Vinay Katiyar". Scroll.in. Retrieved 20 February 2018.
  8. ^ Staff, The Wire. "BJP MP Charged With Demolishing Babri Masjid Now Wants Taj Mahal Converted Into 'Tej Mandir' - The Wire". thewire.in. Retrieved 20 February 2018.
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