Shazia Ilmi (born 1970)[1] is an Indian politician and the national spokesperson of the Bharatiya Janata Party since July 2021.[2]

Shazia Ilmi
Shazia Ilmi
Shazia Ilmi
Spokesperson of Bharatiya Janata Party
Assumed office
2015
Spokesperson of India Against Corruption
In office
2011–2012
Personal details
Born (1970-04-02) 2 April 1970 (age 53)
Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh
NationalityIndian
Political partyBharatiya Janata Party 2015– present
Other political
affiliations
Aam Aadmi Party till 2014
SpouseSajid Malik
RelationsReshma Arif (sister)
Alma materSt. Bedes College, Shimla
OccupationSocial Activist, Journalist, Politician

Before joining politics, Ilmi was a television journalist and anchor at Star News, where she led a media campaign for an anti-corruption bill (to institute an ombudsman popularly known as the Jan Lokpal Bill)..[3]. She started her political career with the Aam Aadmi Party and was a member of its National Executive before she left the party in May 2014 and joined the Bharatiya Janata Party in January 2015.[4]

Early life edit

Ilmi comes from a middle-class Kanpur-based Muslim family with links to the Indian National Congress political party.[4] Her father, Maulana Ishaq Ilmi, was the founder and editor of Siyasat Jadid, a Kanpur-based Urdu newspaper.

Ilmi was educated at St. Mary's School in Kanpur and Nainital and then at St. Bede's College, Shimla.[1] She then completed degree courses in journalism and broadcasting at Jamia Millia Islamia and the University of Wales, Cardiff,[3] and also completed a diploma in 16mm film production at New York Film Academy.[5]

 
Ilmi in 2018

Her brother Aijaz Ilmi is a member and spokesperson of the Bharatiya Janata Party. Her sister is married to Arif Mohammed Khan, a former Indian National Congress politician and Union Minister, who is currently the Governor of Kerala.[3] Shazia Ilmi is married to Sajid Malik.[4]

Television career edit

Ilmi spent 15 years in varied aspects of television news and documentary production.[3] She has been an anchor on Star News, where she hosted and produced the popular prime time news show Desh Videsh.[6]

Ilmi has been a member of the International Association of Women in Radio and Television.[7] Her film titled Post Box. 418 Siyasat Kanpur, concerning the struggle for survival of an Urdu language newspaper, was screened at the IAWRT film festival in 2011[8] and also at events such as a similar festival in Kerala.[9] She was also a co-director, with Radha Hola, of a 1996 documentary concerning the eco-feminist Vandana Shiva. This film, called Daughter of the Earth — Portrait of Vandana Shiva, has been shown by various television broadcasters, including the Discovery Channel.[10]

Political career edit

In 2011, Shazia Ilmi joined the anti-corruption campaign, that was being led by Anna Hazare, and became the urbane, Muslim, media-savvy face of Team Anna.[3]

After the Anna Hazare campaign ended, she joined the Aam Aadmi Party, and became a member of its National Executive.[11][12] Ilmi, along with some other AAP leaders, was briefly involved in a controversy over malpractices in fund-collection, though the allegations were never proven.[13][14] She contested the Lok Sabha elections, 2014 for the AAP from Ghaziabad but lost to V. K. Singh.[15] Having been unhappy with the party's leadership, she resigned her AAP party membership on 24 May 2014.[16]

Ilmi joined the BJP on 16 January 2015 along with IPS Officer Kiran Bedi in a felicitation ceremony at the Delhi BJP office, just before the upcoming 2015 Delhi Assembly elections.[17] She was appointed as a national spokesperson of the Bharatiya Janata Party in July 2021.[2]

In September 2022, she moved the Supreme Court of India seeking direction to the Central government to establish a consistent and universal code for granting alimony and maintenance (Child support), aiming to eliminate obstacles.[18]

Other activities edit

In January 2017, Ilmi was appointed the additional director (non-official part-time independent) of Engineers India Ltd (EIL) from 27 March 2017 to 30 January 2020.[19][20]

References edit

  1. ^ a b BP Staff (2 August 2012). "The Biography of Shazia Ilmi, a prominent Team Anna Member". Biharprabha News. Retrieved 18 June 2013.
  2. ^ a b "BJP appoints Prem Shukla, Shazia Ilmi as national spokespersons". Business Standard. 21 July 2021.
  3. ^ a b c d e Sruthijith, K. K. (25 December 2011). "Shazia Ilmi, ex-journalist: The Muslim face of Team Anna". The Economic Times. Retrieved 1 September 2013.
  4. ^ a b c Jha, Rakesh (20 January 2015). "Know all about Shazia Ilmi, the journalist-turned-politician". India TV.
  5. ^ Voll, Klaus; Kamakshi Nanda (2013). AAM AADMI PARTY (AAP) A NEW POLITICAL PARTY IN INDIA (PDF). FEPS. p. 9. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 November 2013. Retrieved 1 September 2013.
  6. ^ Kaniwal, Rahul (18 August 2011). "A thinktank brings Anna the eyeballs". India Today. Retrieved 1 September 2013.
  7. ^ "IAWRT Members and their World Premiere Films" (PDF). The International Association of Women in Radio and Television Newsletter. 2 (1). IAWRT: 4. April 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 May 2021. Retrieved 1 September 2013.
  8. ^ "Becoming a woman". The Hindu. 11 March 2011. Archived from the original on 19 October 2011. Retrieved 1 September 2013.
  9. ^ "4th International Documentary and Short Film Festival of Kerala". Kerala State Chalachitra Academy for the Government of Kerala. Archived from the original on 5 September 2012. Retrieved 1 September 2013.
  10. ^ "Daughter of the earth - Portrait of Vandana Shiva". 10 Francs. Archived from the original on 16 March 2018. Retrieved 1 September 2013.
  11. ^ "National Executive". Aam Aadmi Party. Retrieved 19 July 2013.
  12. ^ "AAP leaders raising funds through illegal means, shows sting; Kejriwal cries foul". Indian Express. 22 November 2013. Retrieved 24 November 2013.
  13. ^ "AAP sting operation: Arvind Kejriwal cries conspiracy, Shazia Ilmi offers to resign". Zee News. Retrieved 24 November 2013.
  14. ^ "AAP defends Shazia Ilmi, threatens to sue Media Sarkar and TV channels". Indian Express. 23 November 2013. Retrieved 24 November 2013.
  15. ^ "6th Candidate List Announced - 2014 Elections". Aam Aadmi Party official portal. Archived from the original on 6 July 2017. Retrieved 16 March 2014.
  16. ^ "AAP in turmoil as Shazia Ilmi and Captain Gopinath quit". The Economic Times. 24 May 2014. Retrieved 21 July 2014.
  17. ^ "Shazia Ilmi joins BJP, not to enter poll fray". The Hindu. 16 January 2015. Retrieved 18 January 2015.
  18. ^ "BJP's Shazia Ilmi moves SC, seeks uniform code for alimony, maintenance". Business Standard. 30 September 2022. Retrieved 27 November 2023.
  19. ^ "Shazia appointment" (PDF).
  20. ^ "BJP's Sambit Patra appointed to ONGC board". 29 September 2017.