Modi government slammed for anti-minority stance

Gujarat government slammed for its discrimination against religious minorities such as Christians and Muslims.

New Delhi:  The federal Ministry of Minority Affairs has criticized the Gujarat government led by Narendra Modi for its discrimination against religious minorities such as Christians and Muslims.

The ministry in an affidavit in the Supreme Court blasted the Modi government for opposing the Prime Minister’s pre-matric scholarship scheme for students from minority students.

The affidavit expressed surprise over reluctance to give scholarships to Muslims, Christians and other minorities despite the “deteriorating condition” of the Muslims in Gujarat.

The Ministry has filed the hard-hitting written oath after the apex court sought its response to the Gujarat government plea against the scheme formulated as part of the prime minister’s new 15-point program that came into effect in 2008.

Gujarat government challenges the scheme, in which the Centre offers 75 per cent of the funds. Gujarat, which moved the SC against its implementation, is the only state that has not implemented it.

An attempt by the Modi government to get it quashed failed after the Gujarat High Court on February 20 this year upheld the scheme.

The Gujarat government has been arguing that the Centre’s scholarship for minorities is a scheme based on religion and it cannot compel the state to implement it and that a similar scheme was in place in the state for all poor students irrespective of their religion.

The affidavit stated that Gujarat, according to the Sachar Committee report, had fared poorly “in terms of mean per capita expenditure of the Muslim community”.

“The claim that minorities in Gujarat are far more developed than in other states of the country is entirely without basis,” stated the Centre’s affidavit.

Source: khaleejtimes