Tauqeer Raza Khan

Maulana Tauqeer Raza Khan is a sunni Muslim scholar and politician from Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. He is a descendant (Great-great-grandson) of Ahmad Raza Khan, a Hanafi jurist, and a nephew of Akhtar Raza Khan. He is the founder and President of a political party Ittehad-e-Millat Council. In May 2013 he was appointed as Vice-Chairman of the State Handloom Corporation of Uttar Pradesh with the rank of minister of state by the Samajwadi Party Govt. He accepted the post on the condition that a probe committee be constituted by the state Govt. to investigate several riots between Hindu and Muslims which took place after Akhilesh Yadav took over as Chief Minister. However in December 2013 he resigned from the post, blaming the Akhilesh Yadav government for its failure to prevent Muzaffarnagar riots. He said, "Had Akhilesh shown strictness at the time of riots in Kosi Kalan in Mathura, the Muzaffarnagar incident would not have taken place."

He became controversial when he spoke about Taslima Nasrin, a Bangladeshi anti-Islamic author. In 2007, the Maulana had announced a reward of Rs 5 lakh on the author's beheading if Indian Govt. did not restrict her entry to India. According to a report, Maulana had said,"the only way a fatwa against Taslima Nasreen, whose writings clerics denounced as anti-Islam, could be withdrawn was if she burnt her books and left India."

In November 2013 Arvind Kejriwal, national convener of the Aam Aadmi Party was criticised for meeting the Maulana in Bareilly by BJP and Indian National Congress.Arvind was accused of playing the communal card."The AAP chief,however, sought to downplay the meeting saying he had gone to Bareilly on a religious tour and met the Muslim leader because 'he is a respectable person in the town'.