Meenakshi Lekhi

She owns assets and liabilities of over 36,14,41,689 ~ 36 Crore+

{{cite web |title=Meenakshi Lekhi Affidavit |url=https://www.myneta.info/compare_profile.php?group_id=eKTUYXMLZ3Gp2bETtnpJ}}

Meenakshi Lekhi did her bachelor's degree (B.Sc.) from Hindu College, Delhi,{{Cite news|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/spotlight/The-argumentative-Indians/articleshow/28701888.cms|title=The argumentative Indians - Times of India|website=The Times of India|access-date=22 December 2019}} Further, Lekhi joined the Campus Law Centre, Faculty of Law, University of Delhi from where she pursued her law degree (LLB) from 1987 to 1990.{{cite web | url=http://clc.du.ac.in/ | title=Campus Law Centre DU | publisher=DU | date=8 July 2021 | accessdate=8 July 2021}}

After completing her law degree, she enrolled with the Delhi Bar Council in 1990, and started practising at the Supreme Court of India, Delhi High Court, and several other courts, tribunals and forums in different parts of the country.

She has practised in various courts, including several tribunals, Delhi High Court and the Supreme Court. She has also practised in a range of forums across India and handled a range of issues pertaining to women in the courts, such as domestic violence, family law disputes and most importantly the issue of permanent commission of the lady officers in the armed forces. Besides, she has been a social activist and has been associated with several institutions, including the National Commission for Women, Sakshi, NIPCD and several other organisations which are known for being protectors of the rights of women and children in the country.{{cite web|url=http://www.elections.in/political-leaders/meenakshi-lekhi.html |title=Meenakshi Lekhi Biography |website=Elections.in |access-date=17 March 2021}}

Lekhi has been a part of the Drafting Committees for Bills like "Women's Reservation Bill" and "Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Bill". The latter was passed by the Parliament.{{Cite news|url=https://www.business-standard.com/article/politics/meenakshi-lekhi-114052600466_1.html|title=Meenakshi Lekhi|last=Reporter|first=B. S.|date=25 May 2014|work=Business Standard India|access-date=25 May 2019}}

Lekhi represented the media in court to get the ban on media coverage of case proceedings revoked. She was successful in this effort.{{cite news |last1=Gottipati |first1=Sruthi |title=Court Opens Delhi Gang Rape Trial to Press |url=http://india.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/03/22/court-opens-delhi-gang-rape-trial-to-press/?_php=true&_type=blogs&_r=0 |access-date=17 March 2021 |work=The New York Times |date=22 March 2013}} She took up the case of the permanent commissioning of women in the Indian armed forces in the Supreme Court.{{cite news |last1=IANS |title=Supreme Court takes up women ex-army officers' plea |url=https://stratpost.com/supreme-court-takes-up-women-ex-army-officers-plea/ |access-date=17 March 2021 |work=StratPost |date=12 August 2011}} Lekhi was also the lawyer of the victim in the Shanti Mukund Hospital rape case.{{cite news |title=Meenakshi Lekhi |url=https://www.business-standard.com/article/politics/meenakshi-lekhi-114052600466_1.html |access-date=17 March 2021 |work=Business Standard India |date=25 May 2014}}

On 12 April 2019, Lekhi filed a criminal contempt case in the Supreme Court against the Congress Party President Rahul Gandhi for attributing his personal remark to the Supreme Court and creating prejudice in the minds of electorate by saying that the Supreme Court had accepted his (Rahul Gandhi's) contention that there was a scam in the rafale deal. Lekhi said that this amounted to misuse of the Supreme Court's order and hence constituted a clear contempt of court.{{cite news |title=Meenakshi Lekhi files criminal contempt case against Rahul Gandhi for remarks on PM Modi over Rafale verdict |url=https://www.timesnownews.com/india/article/meenakshi-lekhi-bjp-rahul-gandhi-narendra-modi-rafale-bjp-supreme-court-congress/398935 |access-date=17 March 2021 |work=Times Now |date=12 April 2019 |language=en |archive-date=12 April 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190412203054/https://www.timesnownews.com/india/article/meenakshi-lekhi-bjp-rahul-gandhi-narendra-modi-rafale-bjp-supreme-court-congress/398935 |url-status=dead }} In a separate verdict dated 10 April 2019 the Supreme Court had agreed to admit three secret stolen documents of the Ministry of Defence related to the Rafale deal file as admissible piece of evidence in the court, dismissing the government's contention that as per the Official Secrecy Act, such documents can't be admitted.{{cite news |last1=G |first1=Ananthakrishnan |title=Supreme Court rejects Centre's objections to Rafale deal papers |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/india/supreme-court-rejects-centres-objections-to-rafale-deal-papers-5669609/ |access-date=17 March 2021 |work=The Indian Express |date=11 April 2019 |language=en}} However, Rahul Gandhi, while talking on the judgment with the media, had imputed his own words to the SC saying that the latter had agreed with his assertion that 'chowkidar chor hai' (the chowkidar is a thief) - a reference to PM Narendra Modi, who calls himself 'chowkidar' meaning 'the caretaker' or the guard.

File:Smt. Meenakashi Lekhi, MP (Lok Sabha), New Delhi and Member, Parliamentary Standing Committee on Personnel, Public Grievances, Law and Justice.JPG

File:Smt. Meenakashi Lekhi taking charge as the Minister of State for External Affairs, in New Delhi on July 08, 2021 (2).jpg on July 08, 2021 at New Delhi.]]

Lekhi started her political career after joining the Bharatiya Janata Party. She quickly rose the ranks and was appointed as one of the vice-presidents of its women's wing, BJP Mahila Morcha in 2010 by the then party president Nitin Gadkari.{{Cite news|last=Vij-Aurora|first=Bhavna|date=13 August 2010|title=The Ladies Man|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/radar/story/20100823-the-ladies-man-743791-2010-08-13|access-date=10 February 2021|work=India Today}} Lekhi was later appointed as a National Spokesperson of the party in 2013.{{Cite news|last=Patel|first=Aakar|date=24 April 2014|title=The BJP's ace debate team|url=https://www.livemint.com/Leisure/PAlgruIjY5U75kojQhu00K/The-BJPs-ace-debate-team.html|access-date=10 February 2021|work=mint}} Lekhi was considered a strong supporter of the then Chief Minister of Gujarat Narendra Modi within the party.{{Cite news|last=Phadnis|first=Aditi|date=13 September 2013|title=Modi's friends in Delhi|work=Business Standard India|url=https://www.business-standard.com/article/beyond-business/modi-s-friends-in-delhi-113091301105_1.html|access-date=10 February 2021}} Lekhi contested in elections for the New Delhi constituency in the 2014 parliamentary general election and defeated incumbent Ajay Maken by a margin of 270,000 votes. In her capacity as Member of Parliament from the New Delhi constituency, Lekhi is currently the member of New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC).[http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/meenakshi-lekhi-takes-oath-as-ndmc-member/article6133731.ece "Meenakshi Lekhi takes oath as NDMC member"] in The Hindu, 20 June 2014. She is the ex-officio Chairperson of the Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians (India chapter) and has been nominated as a member of the Press Council of India by the Lok Sabha Speaker.[http://www.outlookindia.com/news/article/Rudy-Lekhi-Hari-Nominated-to-Press-Council/858292 "Rudy, Lekhi, Hari Nominated to Press Council"] in Outlook, 3 September 2014. She was appointed the Chairperson of the Committee on Privileges of the Lok Sabha in July 2016 and is also currently an active member of the Standing Committee on Urban Development, Committee on Personnel, Law & Justice, Consultative Committee of Commerce and Committee of Housing.{{cite web |url=http://164.100.47.134/committee/Committee_Home_Page.aspx |title=Archived copy |access-date=25 February 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160311032452/http://164.100.47.134/committee/Committee_Home_Page.aspx |archive-date=11 March 2016 }}

On 28 August 2015, Ministry of Urban Development & NDMC approved the renaming of New Delhi's Aurangzeb Road as Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Road.{{cite tweet|user=M_Lekhi|author=Meenakashi Lekhi|number=637230836350218240|date=28 August 2015|title=Agenda item to change the name of Aurangzeb road to APJ Abdul Kalam approved & name changed congratulations everyone}} Lekhi, as member of the NDMC as well as the MP of the New Delhi constituency where the road is situated, had played important role in this decision.[http://indianexpress.com/article/cities/delhi/new-delhi-mp-meenakshi-lekhi-named-ndmc-chairperson/ "New Delhi MP Meenakshi Lekhi named NDMC chairperson"] in The Indian Express, 20 June 2014.[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G6ipsZWVeQo "Lok Sabha Speech: Renaming of Delhi's Aurangzeb Road"] on Youtube.com. As a member of NDMC, she also got the name of Dalhousie Road, a road near the Secretariat Building, New Delhi, changed to Dara shikoh Road[https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Delhi/Dalhousie-Road-becomes-Dara-Shikoh-Road/article17201267.ece "Dalhousie Road becomes Dara Shikoh Road"] in The Hindu, 6 February 2017. Earlier, she had been instrumental in changing the name of Race Course Road, the Delhi road adjacent to the Indian Prime Minister's residence, to Lok Kalyan Marg thus giving a new address to the PM's residence, from "7, RCR" to "7, LKM".[https://www.firstpost.com/india/7-rcr-to-7-lkm-ndmc-renames-race-course-road-to-lok-kalyan-marg-3014498.html "7 RCR to 7 LKM: NDMC renames Race Course Road to Lok Kalyan Marg"] on Firstpost, 21 September 2016.

Lekhi has adopted the village Pilanji falling under her New Delhi parliamentary constituency to be developed as model village under the Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his Independence Day address.[https://www.business-standard.com/article/news-ians/meenakshi-lekhi-adopts-a-village-114090401222_1.html "Meenakshi Lekhi adopts a village"] in the Business Standard, 4 September 2014. However, as Pilanji is now an urbanised settlement with no gram sabha or village panchayat, as required under the scheme, she has also adopted the village Qutubgarh on the outskirts of Delhi that falls outside her constituency.[https://www.outlookindia.com/newswire/story/no-takers-for-delhi-villages-under-mp-model-village-scheme/900671 "'No Takers for Delhi Villages Under MP Model Village Scheme'"] [sic!] in Outlook, 5 June 2015.

In July 2017, Lekhi was honoured with the Lokmat Parliamentary Award as "Best Debut Woman Parliamentarian".{{cite web|url=https://www.exchange4media.com/industry-briefing-news/lokmat-parliamentary-awards-2017-honours-distinguished-ls-and-rs-members-of-india-69767.html|title=Lokmat Parliamentary Awards 2017 honours distinguished LS and RS members of India - Exchange4media|website=Indian Advertising Media & Marketing News – exchange4media}}

In terms of utilisation of MPLAD funds among the 7 MPs of Delhi, Lekhi (New Delhi) had been found to spend the maximum amount. She used Rs 2.50 crore out of Rs 5 crore released by the government in the very first year, which was 50 per cent of the total released.{{cite web|url=https://www.dnaindia.com/|title=DNA|website=dna}}

During a discussion on the Triple Talaq bill in Parliament in December 2017, Lekhi demanded stern punishment for the clerics and religious leaders who support and facilitate the process of instant triple talaq, known as talaq-i-biddat. Further, she had said: "I want to tell Muslim women, when you have a brother like Narendra Modi, you don't need to be afraid. We stand with you in this fight."[http://www.ummid.com/news/2017/December/28.12.2017/clerics-supporting-triple-talaq-must-be-punished-bjp-mp.html "Clerics batting for triple talaq must be punished: Meenakshi Lekhi"] on Ummid.com, 28 December 2015.

On the issue of growing incidents of lynching in India, she said that the incidents of mob lynching are due to economic disparity. Giving instances of the killing of Bengal migrant worker Manik Roy, who was beaten up by a group of men in Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala on the suspicion that he had stolen a hen, and a 30-year-old tribal man Madhu, who was beaten by an irate mob in Kerala on the accusation of theft, Lekhi told that many cases of lynchings happen due to poverty and economic issues.[https://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2018/jul/18/mob-lynchings-due-to-economic-disparity-bjp-mp-meenakshi-lekhi-1845112.html "Mob lynchings due to economic disparity: BJP MP Meenakshi Lekhi"] in The New Indian Express, 18 July 2018.

She has been an active participant in the parliamentary processes. In the 16th Lok Sabha, Lekhi has participated in 125 debates (national average being 67.1), asked 435 questions (national average being 292) and introduced 20 private member bills (national average being 2.3) in the Lok Sabha (as updated till final Budget Session, 2019). Her overall attendance in parliament till budget session, 2019 has been 95% against the national average of 80%.[http://www.prsindia.org/mptrack/meenakashilekhi Entry "Meenakashi Lekhi"] on PRS Legislative Research.

Lekhi was reelected in the 2019 general elections against congress party candidate Ajay Maken in New Delhi constituency of New Delhi (Lok Sabha constituency). Lekhi got nearly 54 per cent of votes against only 26 per cent of votes of nearest candidate Ajay Maken .{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/elections/lok-sabha-2019/story/new-delhi-lok-sabha-election-meenakshi-lekhi-wins-1533375-2019-05-24|title=New Delhi Lok Sabha results 2019: Victory for BJP's Meenakshi Lekhi, Ajay Makan trails behind|agency=Press Trust of India |date=May 24, 2019 |magazine=India Today|language=en|access-date=24 May 2019}}{{Cite web|url=https://indianexpress.com/elections/new-delhi-lok-sabha-election-results-2019-live-winner-runner-up/|title=New Delhi Lok Sabha Election Results 2019 LIVE: BJP's Meenakshi Lekhi wins|date=24 May 2019|website=The Indian Express|language=en-IN|access-date=24 May 2019}}

On 26 July 2019, Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla appointed Lekhi as a chairperson of parliamentary committee on Public Undertakings.

On 20 May 2020, during the Wuhan coronavirus outbreak, Lekhi, along with Rahul Kaswan, attended the swearing in ceremony of Tsai Ing-wen as president of Taiwan and praised Taiwan as a "Democratic Country".{{cite news |url =https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/bjp-mps-praise-taiwan-as-democratic-country-as-president-tsai-ing-wen-begins-new-term/article31635242.ece/amp/#aoh=15902293578706&referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com&_tf=From%20%251%24s|title =BJP MPs praise Taiwan as 'democratic country' as President Tsai Ing-wen begins new term|publisher =The Hindu|quote =A separate video message from Ms. Lekhi was also played at the inaugural, in which she wished Ms. Tsai “great success and the continued strengthening of the comprehensive relations between India and Taiwan”.|location =Chennai|date =20 May 2020|website =thehindu.com|author =Ananth Krishnan|access-date =23 May 2020}}

Meenakshi Lekhi sparked controversy at the 'Awake Youth Conclave 2024' in Kozhikode, Kerala, on February 3. While addressing the audience, she urged them to chant 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai'. When some did not respond loud enough, she became visibly agitated, insisting on full participation. She singled out a woman in yellow, asking her to stand and chant or leave. Lekhi also praised Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan for his past political stands during her speech. The conclave was organized by the Nehru Yuva Kendra, Khelo India, and Tapasya.{{Cite web |last=Staff |first=T. N. M. |date=2024-02-03 |title='Chant Bharat Mata ki Jai or leave': Meenakshi Lekhi shouts at Kerala audience |url=https://www.thenewsminute.com/kerala/chant-bharat-mata-ki-jai-or-leave-meenakshi-lekhi-shouts-at-kerala-audience |access-date=2024-06-30 |website=The News Minute |language=en}} Critics point to Supreme Court of India rulings, highlighting the right not to be compelled to stand or sing the national anthem, as exemplified by cases like Bijoe Emmanuel & Ors vs State of Kerala & Ors. (1986) and Shyam Narayan Chouksey vs Union of India (2018).{{Cite web |title=Protecting the Honour of National Anthem |url=https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/protecting-the-honour-of-national-anthem |access-date=2024-06-30 |website=Drishti IAS |language=en}}

Lekhi has been a member of the National Commission for Women's special committee, Chairperson of the Special Task Force on Women Empowerment, Vice Chairperson of JPM, Blind School (New Delhi) and Joint Secretary of the Blind Relief Association, Delhi.

In April 2015, she was part of a national environment awareness program, hosted by Women Can, a non-government organisation. She awarded 500 tree saplings to awarded students. The students had been a part of a quiz contest conducted across India through the initiative of Women Can, with the help of student volunteer Apoorv Jha, who published a quiz book and designed the quizzes.

As she was associated with several NGOs, she also worked with Swadeshi Jagaran Manch, an organisation associated with Sangh Parivar and from there she was invited by ex-BJP president Nitin Gadkari to join BJP in its Mahila Morcha (women's wing) as its vice-president and from there her political career took off.

• Dara Shikoh Road

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