President Droupadi Murmu has nominated Harsh Vardhan Shringla, former Foreign Secretary, Ujjwal Nikam, a government prosecutor in the Mumbai attack case, academic C. Sadanandan Master, and Delhi historian Meenakshi Jain to the Rajya Sabha. The Union Home Ministry issued a notification late Saturday night mentioning the President has nominated all four to the Rajya Sabha.
PM Modi Extends Congratulations
Prime Minister Narendra Modi conveyed his congratulations to the newly nominated Rajya Sabha members. He commended Ujjwal Nikam's dedication to the legal field and the Constitution as exemplary, posting on X that Nikam has been successful not only as a lawyer but has also played a leading role in attaining justice in significant matters.
PM Modi shared on X, 'Throughout his legal career, he has always worked towards strengthening constitutional values and ensuring respectful interaction with ordinary citizens. It is a matter of happiness that the President of India has nominated him to the Rajya Sabha. My best wishes for his parliamentary term.'
Upon his nomination to the Rajya Sabha, PM Modi communicated with Nikam over the phone. The senior lawyer shared his gratitude to President Droupadi Murmu for the nomination. He recalled meeting PM Modi during the Lok Sabha election campaign when the Prime Minister had expressed trust in him. Yesterday, PM Modi phoned him to inform about his nomination.
Conversing with Nikam in Marathi
Nikam recounted, 'PM Modi asked if we should converse in Hindi or Marathi, which made us both laugh. Then, PM Modi spoke to me in Marathi and relayed that the President wanted to entrust me with this responsibility, after which he informed me about the President's decision. I immediately accepted and expressed my gratitude to the party leadership.'
Ujjwal Nikam, a renowned lawyer, served as a government prosecutor in the Mumbai terrorist attack case. He was fielded by the BJP as a candidate for the Mumbai North Central seat in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. However, Congress candidate Varsha Gaikwad defeated him in the election.
Who is Ujjwal Nikam?
Born in Jalgaon, Maharashtra, Ujjwal Nikam is a prominent lawyer known for handling high-profile cases. He played a pivotal role as a government prosecutor in securing the death penalty for terrorist Ajmal Kasab in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack. Additionally, he served as the government prosecutor in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts case.
Renowned for his work as a government prosecutor in high-profile cases like the Bollywood music producer Gulshan Kumar's murder and Pramod Mahajan's assassination case, Nikam is counted among the prestigious lawyers of the country. For his contributions to the legal field, Ujjwal Nikam was honored with the Padma Shri, India's fourth highest civilian award, by the Government of India in 2016.
