Danish Azad Ansari claimed that the faith of Muslims in the BJP has increased. (File)
His becoming a minister wasn't unexpected but a symbol of faith reposed by the party in its dedicated worker, said UP's lone Muslim minister Danish Azad Ansari on Friday.
Mr Ansari hails from Ballia and took oath as a minister of state in the new BJP-led government in Uttar Pradesh on Friday.
Currently, Mr Ansari is not a member of either house of the UP legislature.
"I thank the party for giving an ordinary party worker like me such a big opportunity. I thank them for this. I would discharge my duties with full honesty," he told news agency PTI.
When asked whether getting the ministerial berth was unexpected, he said, "No, this was not the case. The BJP recognises the hard work of each and every worker. For me, it is a symbol of trust reposed by the party in its dedicated worker."
He also claimed that the faith of Muslims in the BJP has increased.
"The welfare schemes run by the BJP are benefitting the Muslims. This government does not ask anyone's caste and religion before giving them benefits of the schemes. The BJP works for basic facilities and necessities of the Muslims," he said.
Mr Ansari is the only Muslim face in new Uttar Pradesh government led by Yogi Adityanath.
He replaced Mohsin Raza, who served as the minister of state for minorities welfare in the previous Adityanath government.
Mr Ansari, 32, had joined the ABVP in 2010 when he was a student at Lucknow University. He has done Masters in Public Administration and Quality Management.
He was nominated to the Urdu Language Committee in the Yogi government in October 2018, having the minister of state status.
He was appointed the general secretary of the minorities cell of the BJP just before the Assembly elections.
Born on May 30, 1988, Mr Ansari is a native of Apayal village in Bansdih Assembly constituency of Ballia. He did his schooling from Ballia's Holy Cross School.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)