Syed Shahabuddin

Syed Shahabuddin was an Indian politician and diplomat from Gaya, Bihar. He began as a diplomat working for the Indian Foreign Service, but later became well known as one of the most articulate Muslim politicians of independent India. He switched careers after the Emergency, at the time when the Congress began its decline and Hindu nationalism first started its ascent to power. He served three terms from 1979-1996 as a member of the Parliament of India. He was known for his leadership of the Muslim opposition to the Shah Bano case and the Demolition of Babri Masjid. He died in March 2017 of long-term asthma, at a hospital near his residence in Delhi, India.