Vinay Katiyar

Vinay Katiyar
Rajya Sabha MP
Personal details
Born	(1954-11-11) 11 November 1954 Kanpur (Uttar Pradesh)
Political party	Bharatiya Janata Party
Spouse(s)	Late Shrimati Ram Bethi
Alma mater	Kanpur University

Vinay Katiyar (born 11 November 1954, Kanpur) was the founder-president of Bajrang Dal, the youth wing of the Hindu nationalist organisation Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) in India. He has served as a national General Secretary of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and as a Member of Parliament in the Lower House, Lok Sabha. He is currently a member of the Upper House, the Rajya Sabha.

Life and career

Katiyar was born to Devi Charan Katiyar and Shyam Kali in Kanpur. He belongs to the Kurmi caste. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Commerce from the Kanpur University.

Katiyar started his political journey from Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), the student wing of the Sangh Parivar. He was the organizing secretary of ABVP's Uttar Pradesh state unit from 1970 to 1974, and the convener of the Jayaprakash Narayan's Bihar Movement in 1974. He became a pracharak (full-time worker) of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) in 1980. He founded the Hindu Jagran Manch in 1982. In 1984, he was chosen to start the new youth organisation Bajrang Dal to support the Ram Janmabhoomi movement.

Later, Katiyar served as the President of Uttar Pradesh State Unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party from 2002 to 18 July 2004 and the national General Secretary of the BJP from 2006.

Katiyar was elected to Lok Sabha from the Faizabad (Ayodhya) constituency to the 10th, 11th and 13th Lok Sabha in 1991, 1996 and 1999. He is currently a member of Rajya sabha from Uttar Pradesh.