Virendra Kumar, a seven-time MP, returns to Union council of ministers

A Dalit leader, Kumar first became a Union minister of the state in 2017. He comes from a humble background and is known as the common man’s leader, who was often seen riding a scooter and meeting people

Updated on: Jul 8, 2021, 12:38:25 IST

By Shruti Tomar

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Virendra Kumar, a seven-time Member of Parliament from Madhya Pradesh’s Tikamgarh, has returned to the Union council of ministers as social justice and empowerment minister. A Dalit leader, Kumar first became a Union minister of the state in 2017. He comes from a humble background and is known as the common man’s leader, who was often seen riding a scooter and meeting people.

Minister of social justice and empowerment, Virendra Kumar. (Source: Twitter)

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Kumar would assist his father, who ran a cycle puncture repairing shop in Sagar. A postgraduate in Economics from Dr Hari Singh Gour University, he joined Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and was jailed during the state of emergency in the 1970s.

Rajkamal Kesharvani, a friend of Kumar’s and a BJP leader, said: “I have seen his struggle, but he is not among those who forget their roots after getting success. He evolved himself as a politician but did not change...During his visits to Tikamgarh and Sagar, he can be seen sitting with three-four people at shops and discussing their problems,” said Kesharvani.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Shruti Tomar
I have spent over a decade chronicling Madhya Pradesh’s political and social landscape, covering politics, investigative journalism, crime, human interest, and government policy, blending sharp insight with ground‑level depth. I have closely tracked three assembly elections, three Lok Sabha elections, leadership transitions in MP while exposing governance lapses, tender irregularities, and flawed policy rollouts. My reports have revealed gaps in the Cheetah project, irregularities in medical education, rigging in recruitment exams, and loopholes in policy implementation. In crime reporting, I have moved beyond FIRs to map systemic patterns — from organised crime networks and gender‑based violence to custodial accountability — balancing urgency with sensitivity. My journalism is defined by a commitment to human interest. I have profiled the marginalised Bancchda community, documented atrocities against tribal groups, and highlighted efforts to preserve their culture through heritage liquor and revival of spiritual practices. I have reported on farmers struggling with failed MSP promises, giving voice to those often reduced to statistics in policy files. Passionate about field reporting, I have reported on rampant sand mining in Chambal and Narmada, pharmaceutical companies supplying medicines under altered names, the dire condition of schools and colleges, the plight of commercial sex workers, and skewed sex ratios in specific districts. Beyond deadlines, and as HT’s state correspondent and assistant editor in Madhya Pradesh, I engage with ministers, farmers, students, and activists, believing the best policy stories begin with a single human voice. A postgraduate in Journalism and Mass Communication, I also hold a diploma in sports journalism.Read More

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