Interestingly, on Monday, controversial Telangana BJP MLA T Raja Singh Lodh said that only those "begging for vote” host Iftar parties, declaring he would neither host nor attend such events.

Asked whether the Bharatiya Janata Party would need the support of allies, especially regional outfits, for the general elections, Naqvi said the BJP was committed to alliance partners right from the tenure of Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

Narendra Modi had handed over the 'chadar' to Naqvi on Saturday to be offered at the shrine.

The airfare from New Delhi to Jeddah and back, which was Rs 98,750 in 2013-14 as fixed by the UPA government, has now been reduced to Rs 71,853. Similarly, the airfare from Hyderabad would be Rs 65,766 instead of Rs 1,01,600 previously

"The school drop-out rate among Muslim girls, which is more than 72 per cent, is a matter of concern. To change the situation, the (Narendra) Modi government has focused on educational empowerment of Muslim girls," Naqvi said.

Naqvi said that the Narendra Modi government was working with commitment for "inclusive growth" which has ensured that all sections of the society, including minorities, are becoming an equal partner of the development process.

"Subsidy on Haj over from this year," News agency PTI quoted Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi as saying.

The minority affairs minister attributed the increase to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "growing popularity" and India's improved ties with Saudi Arabia and other Arab nations under his leadership

Naqvi's remarks against the Congress came as the BJP-led central government today introduced a legislation in the Lok Sabha to make instant triple talaq illegal and void. The bill also seeks to award a three-year jail term to the husband.

The Congress had suspended the primary membership of Mani Shankar Aiyar after the Gandhi family loyalist set off a firestorm recently by calling the prime minister "neech aadmi" (a vile person).

Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said that terrorism and separatism have become the biggest challenge to human values and peace in the entire world today.

This year, the Haj quota for India -- home to the world's third largest Muslim population -- was increased to 170,025, of which 125,025 was allocated to the Haj committee and 45,000 to the privater tour operators.

Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi’s sister Farhat Naqvi on Saturday alleged that a group of men tried to kidnap her near Chauki Chauraha area in Bareilly in broad daylight

The major revamp of the Narendra Modi government recognised the works of Ministers of State Piyush Goyal, Dharmendra Pradhan, Nirmala Sitharaman and Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi

Union minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi has said the government has decided to offer 40 pc reservation for girls at 100 Navodaya-type schools and five higher education institutes it plans to set up for minority community students.

“Singing Vande Mataram is absolutely an individual’s choice. Those who want to sing can sing it, those who don’t, may not. Not singing it does not make one anti-national,” Naqvi said.

Naqvi, however, stressed that the mob lynching incidents cannot be justified and pitched for tough action against the perpetrators of such crimes.

As many as 13 political parties had questioned the reliability of the EVMs, but when EC threw open a challenge to prove that the machines can be tampered with, only two parties accepted the dare.

Union Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi today assured the country that defence forces are enough capable to deal with Pakistan and that they are giving befitting reply to the neighbouring country.

Reacting to the alleged lynching of a man in Rajasthan by cow vigilantes, Union Minister for Minority Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi today said that such incidents should not be seen from a religious point of view because criminals have no religion.