Sanjeev Balyan - A BJP member, he was elected to the Lok Sabha in 2014 from the Muzaffarnagar constituency after trouncing BSP's Kadir Rana by a margin of more than four lakh votes.
Sanjeev Balyan. Pic/PTI
New Delhi: Newly elected Minister of State in the Ministry of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries Sanjeev Balyan attracted controversy name over his alleged involvement in the 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots. The 46-year-old lawmaker hails from Kutbi village in Muzaffarnagar district. He was part of a mahapanchayat there in September 2013, which appeared to have inflamed tensions.
ADVERTISEMENT
Balyan has denied his involvement in the riots and has claimed that he has been booked in a false case. He was administered oath as minister of state by President Ram Nath Kovind at Rashtrapati Bhavan Thursday. A BJP member, he was elected to the Lok Sabha in 2014 from the Muzaffarnagar constituency after trouncing BSP's Kadir Rana by a margin of more than four lakh votes.
In the 2019 general election, he defeated Ajit Singh of the Rashtriya Lok Dal by a margin of 6,500 votes. He was appointed the minister of state for agriculture and food processing in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government in May 2014. Then, in July 2016, he was made the minister of state for water resources, river development and Ganga rejuvenation, under Union minister Uma Bharti.
Balyan obtained his degrees from the Haryana Agricultural University. He had served as an assistant professor and a veterinary surgeon with the Haryana government before joining politics. In his student days, he was associated with the Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), the student wing of the RSS, and was elected convener of the students' union.
Being an agriculturist, he was associated with farmers' organisations and raised their issues on various forums.
Top News stories of the day
- Narendra Modi swearing-in: Ambanis, Shahid-Mira, Kangana attend ceremony
- Love again! These famous people got married more than once
- Mumbai doctor's suicide: Yet to find caste angle in Dr Payal Tadvi's case, say police
- Mumbai: 33-year-old attempts suicide outside Aamir Khan's office
- Horror in Mahabaleshwar: 12-year-old's scalp ripped apart in carting accident
- Bikers attack astrologer, tell her to withdraw rape case against Karan Oberoi or else...
- Shobhaa De, son Aditya and Sussanne Khan at a party in Colaba
- Mumbai: Central Railway General Manager retires after three key achievements
- Mumbai Crime: Goon threatens Parle volunteers for good driving
- BMC to rope in citizens to fight air pollution
- Mumbai: Hike in AC local fares from June 1
- Sharon Joan: Fashion blogger recreates British Royals wardrobe for reasonable price
- Corrosion, beautification, audit firm now blamed for CSMT bridge collapse
- Mumbai: Lions to be main attraction in Byculla zoo again after 7 years
- Mumbai: Guard dies after being thrown out of the train
- Mumbai Crime: Marine engineer dies in acid attack, friend in hospital
- Narendra Modi, team start on second innings
- Congress boycotts television debates for a month
- Mukesh-Nita Ambani, Anant Ambani, Ratan Tata spotted at Mumbai airport
- NEET answer key out, but candidates unhappy
- Taming fake news with logic and AI
Catch up on all the latest Crime, National, International and Hatke news here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates