| Salman Khurshid | |
|---|---|
| Sh. Salman Khurshid | |
| Ministry of Law and Justice | |
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 28 May 2011 |
|
| Constituency | Farrukhabad |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1 January 1953 Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Political party | Indian National Congress |
| Spouse(s) | Louise Khurshid |
| Residence | Kaimganj, Pitaura |
| Alma mater | University of Delhi St Edmund Hall, Oxford |
| Profession | Advocate |
| Religion | Muslim |
Salman Khurshid (born 1 January 1953) is an Indian politician belonging to the Indian National Congress, a lawyer, and a writer who has been elected from Farrukhabad Lok Sabha constituency in the General Election of 2009. He belongs to Farrukhabad. He is presently the Cabinet Minister of the Ministry of Law and Justice and Ministry of Minority Affairs. Prior to this he was elected to the 10th Lok Sabha (1991–1996) from the Farrukhabad Lok Sabha constituency. He became the Union Deputy Minister of Commerce in June 1991, and later became the Union Minister of State of External Affairs (Jan. 1993-June 1996).[1] Before that he had started his political career in 1981 as an Officer on Special Duty in the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) under the prime ministership of Mrs. Indira Gandhi.
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Born in Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, he is the son of Khurshed Alam Khan, the former Union Minister of External affairs, Government of India, and maternal grandson of Dr. Zakir Hussain, the third President of India.
He studied in St. Xavier's High School, Patna, Bihar,[2] B.A. (English and Jurisprudence), M.A., B.C.L. Educated at St. Stephen's College, Delhi and St Edmund Hall, Oxford University, Oxford, U.K.[1] He also taught as Lecturer in Law at Trinity College, Oxford.
He started his political career as an Officer on Special Duty in the Prime Minister's Office, during the Prime Ministership of Mrs. Indira Gandhi in the early 1980s. Later he became the Deputy Minister of Commerce in the Government of India, and then Minister of State for External Affairs in the Government of India from 1991-1996. During this period he was the Member of Parliament from the Farrukhabad constituency in Uttar Pradesh. In the General Election of 2009 he was once again elected as Member of Parliament from Farrukhabad, winning as a candidate of the Indian National Congress, with 1,69, 351 votes. He became the Union Minister of State (with Independent Charges) of Corporate Affairs and Minority Affairs in the Government of India. He took over as Minister on Friday, 29 May 2009. In the Cabinet reshuffle of 12 July, 2011, he was made Cabinet Minister for Law and Justice, and Minority Affairs in the Government of India.
He and his associates are committed to bringing waqf board reforms.[3]
He has been the President of the Uttar Pradesh Pradesh Congress Committee twice.
He was also the President of the Delhi Public School Society and Dr. Zakir Hussain Study Circle.
Salman Khurshid appeared for SIMI, a group banned in India and frequently charged by Indian authorities with terrorist activities, as its defence lawyer, appealing the 2002 ban; in June 2006 the Supreme Court of India rejected the appeal noting "the appeal against the ban should be first argued before the tribunal established for the purposes". Asked about his appearance, Khurshid said :"I would refuse a client only when I am personally satisfied that taking up the case would go against the ethics of the profession. A lawyer has to appear for an accused. It is my constitutional duty. A party and the government too cannot pre-judge an organisation."[4]
In 2009 Incumbent President Sirajuddin Qureshi beat Salman Khurshid for the presidentship of India Islamic Cultural Centre.[5] Campaign for the election was very intense with became high-profile with Salman's entry in the fray.[6]
In 2010, he was instrumental in making the Govt of India introduce the Enemy Property Bill, which gives the pre-partition owners of immovable properties and assets, rights to the properties and assets as against the law from 1968 which handed over the properties to the Govt of India. Salman Khurshid, interestingly was the counsel for the Raja of Mahmudabad, MA Mohammad Khan, who crossed to Pakistan at the time of partition, in the apex court. He also led a delegation of Muslim MPs demanding a larger and wider scope for enemy property claims from across the border.[7]
He has been deeply involved in writing and acting in plays since his student days in Delhi and Oxford. He is the author of the play Sons of Babur, published by Rupa & Co., which has been staged, with Tom Alter in the lead role, at the Red Fort in Delhi.