P. A. Mohammed Riyas is an Indian politician currently serving as the Minister for Public Works Department and Tourism, Government of Kerala.[1] He is the Kerala state committee member of far left CPI(M), and the former All India President of the DYFI.[2][3][4][5]

P. A. Mohammed Riyas
Cabinet Minister, Government of Kerala
Assumed office
20 May 2021
GovernorArif Mohammad Khan
Chief MinisterPinarayi Vijayan
Ministry and Departments
Preceded by
Member of the Kerala Legislative Assembly
Assumed office
03 May 2021
Preceded byV. K. C. Mammed Koya
ConstituencyBeypore
All India President of Democratic Youth Federation of India
Assumed office
2017
Preceded byM. B. Rajesh
Personal details
Born (1976-05-18) 18 May 1976 (age 48)
Beypore
Political partyCommunist Party of India (Marxist)
Spouse(s)
Sameeha Saithalavi
(m. 2002; div. 2015)

Veena Vijayan
(m. 2020)
RelativesPinarayi Vijayan (father-in-law)
Alma mater

Early life, family and education

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Riyas was born in Kozhikode.[6] His father P. M. Abdul Khader, was an IPS officer.[7] His relative P. K. Moidheenkutty Sahib was a former president of KPCC, AICC member, freedom fighter, and a member of Madras assembly in 1937.[8]

Riyas did his schooling at St. Joseph's Boys' Higher Secondary School, Kozhikode and joined Farook College, Kozhikode for his pre-degree education. He continued in the same college for his under-graduate degree in BCom. Later he secured a law degree from Government Law College, Kozhikode.[6]

Personal life

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He married Dr. Sameeha Saithalavi in 2002 and later divorced her in 2015 and they have two sons.[9] On 15 June 2020, he married T. Veena, the daughter of Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.[10]

Political career

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During his school days in St Joseph Boys High School, Kozhikode Mohammed Riyas was active with SFI. In his 8th standard, he became the President of the SFI unit committee, and in the next year, he became the unit secretary of the school committee. In his pre-degree days in Farook College, Kozhikode he was elected as the first-year pre-degree representative of the college. In 1994 Riyas became the unit president of SFI committee in Farook College, and in the next conference he became the secretary of the unit. From Farook college, he won the post for university union councillor of Calicut University in 1996–97. Later he became a university union office-bearer in 1998. Riyas gradually became a prominent leader of SFI.[11]

Riyas was a member of the DYFI, where he rose to become the president and finally the secretary of DYFI Kozhikode District Committee.[12][13][4] From 2010-16 he worked in the state centre of DYFI Kerala committee. During this period, he held the office of State Vice President and later Joint Secretary of DYFI Kerala state committee.[13] In 2016, he was elected as the All-India Joint Secretary of DYFI. In 2017, he became the All India President of DYFI.[3]

Riyas also joined the CPI(M) in 1993, where he was a district committee member for Kozhikode,[14] as well as a state committee member.[15] In 2022 he became State Secretariat member of CPIM Kerala.[16]

Electoral politics

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During the 2009 Indian general election, Riyas was the CPI(M) candidate for Kozhikode.[17][18] M. K. Raghavan won the constituency with a margin of 838 votes over Riyas which was one of a lowest margin in the history of kerala lok sabha election history. Riyas contested the election result with a petition to the Kerala High Court alleging that Raghavan had published propaganda against him in print media.[19][20] The petition was dismissed on 17 May 2010.[21]

Electoral performance

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Election candidature history[22]
Year Constituency Result Margin
2009 Kozhikode Lost 838
2021 Beypore Won 28747


P. A. Muhammed Riyas won from the constituency Beypore on margin of 28,747 Votes in 2021 Kerala Assembly Elections.

Political views

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Riyas has criticised and opposed the Citizenship (Amendment) Act 2019 (CAA).[23][24][25][26] He views the opposition against the CAA as a struggle for defending the Constitution of India.[27] On 6 January 2020, he led a rally against the CAA with 100,000 people at Kozhikode Beach.[28]

References

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  1. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 21 May 2021. Retrieved 21 May 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  2. ^ "Kerala: For P A Mohammad Riyas, it's a rise from the ranks". The Times of India. 19 May 2021. Retrieved 19 May 2021.
  3. ^ a b "Mohammed Riyas elected as national president of DYFI". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 10 May 2020.
  4. ^ a b "Mohammad Riyas elected DYFI president". Deccan Chronicle. 6 February 2017. Retrieved 10 May 2020.
  5. ^ "Veena George to replace KK Shailaja as Kerala health minister; here's list of new ministers and portfolios". Times Now. 19 May 2021. Retrieved 19 May 2021.
  6. ^ a b "Biodata of P. A. Muhammed Riaz". keralaassembly.org. Retrieved 10 May 2020.
  7. ^ "Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan's daughter to tie the knot on Monday". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 11 June 2020.
  8. ^ Naha, Abdul Latheef (13 November 2020). "Public opinion survey sets apart Anakkara".
  9. ^ "Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan's daughter Veena to marry DYFI leader Mohammed Riyas". Coastal Digest. 9 June 2020. Retrieved 19 May 2021.
  10. ^ "Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan's daughter Veena marries DYFI national president PA Mohammed Riyas". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 15 June 2020.
  11. ^ "മുന്‍ പൊലീസ് കമ്മീഷണറുടെ മകന്‍ ഇനി വിപ്ലവ". Express Kerala. 5 February 2017. Retrieved 11 May 2020.
  12. ^ "മുഹമ്മദ് റിയാസ് ഡി.വൈ.എഫ്.ഐ ദേശീയ പ്രസിഡന്റ് • Suprabhaatham". suprabhaatham.com. Retrieved 11 May 2020.
  13. ^ a b "ഡിവൈഎഫ്ഐ: മുഹമ്മദ് റിയാസ് പ്രസിഡന്റ് അവോയ് മുഖര്‍ജി ജനറല്‍ സെക്രട്ടറി". Deshabhimani (in Malayalam). Retrieved 11 May 2020.
  14. ^ DoolNews. "ജില്ലാ കമ്മിറ്റി അംഗങ്ങളെ തിരഞ്ഞെടുത്തു". DoolNews. Retrieved 11 May 2020.
  15. ^ "Kodiyeri to continue; 10 new faces in CPM State Committee". Mathrubhumi. Retrieved 10 May 2020.
  16. ^ "Leaders | CPIM". cpimkerala.org. Retrieved 4 November 2023.
  17. ^ "2009 India General (15th Lok Sabha) Elections Results". www.elections.in. Retrieved 10 May 2020.
  18. ^ "Indian Parliament Election Results 2009 (Lok Sabha polls 2009)- Kerala". keralaassembly.org. Retrieved 10 May 2020.
  19. ^ "Kerala's success in dummy candidate strategy and why VM Sudheeran still fears it". www.thenewsminute.com. May 2016. Retrieved 10 May 2020.
  20. ^ "Constituency Wise Detailed Result of 2009 Parliament Elections". Election Commission of India. 10 August 2018.
  21. ^ "Kerala High Court : Mohamed Riyas vs M.K.Raghavan on 6 January, 2010 (El.Pet..No. 6 of 2009)". Indian Kanoon. 17 May 2010.
  22. ^ "Election Commission of India". results.eci.gov.in. Retrieved 6 May 2021.
  23. ^ "Bindhu Ammini, woman who entered Sabarimala, detained during anti-CAA protest in Delhi". www.thenewsminute.com. 27 December 2019. Retrieved 10 May 2020.
  24. ^ Anti- CAA Protest Staged In Delhi's UP Bhavan Amidst Section 144CrPc| Mathrubhumi News, retrieved 10 May 2020
  25. ^ "സി.എ.എയ്‌ക്കെതിരെ മഹാരാഷ്ട്രയില്‍ ഡി.വൈ.എഫ്.ഐ മാര്‍ച്ച്; റിയാസടക്കമുള്ള നേതാക്കള്‍ തടവില്‍". DoolNews (in Malayalam). Retrieved 11 May 2020.
  26. ^ "ദില്ലിയിൽ സംഘർഷം, പ്രമുഖർ കസ്റ്റഡിയിൽ; പൊലീസ് ആസ്ഥാനം ഉപരോധിക്കാൻ ജാമിയ സമര സമിതിയുടെ ആഹ്വാനം". Asianet News Network Pvt Ltd (in Malayalam). Retrieved 10 May 2020.
  27. ^ Sudhi, K. s (2 December 2019). "Religious slogans to take a back seat in anti-CAA campaign". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 10 May 2020.
  28. ^ "DFYI's anti-CAA march to reach Kozhikode beach, Kerala CM to address over 1 hundred people". ANI News. Retrieved 10 May 2020.