Cong reduced minority affairs ministry to 'Muslim affairs' ministry, says Rijiju; slams Rahul

PUNE: Union Minister Kiren Rijiju on Monday said the Congress during its rule had reduced the ministry of minority affairs into "Muslim affairs ministry" and its leader Rahul Gandhi was now spreading a fake narrative that minorities are unsafe in India.

Rijiju said Muslims must not become the vote bank of the Congress as it was damaging the nation as well as the community itself.

"As the in charge of the Minority Affairs Ministry, I want to clarify certain things. During its regime, the Congress reduced the Minority Affairs Ministry to a Muslim Affairs Ministry. We are trying to change that impression. Our government is working equally for all minorities in the country. It is committed to national interest," he said.

Asserting that the Congress narrowed the focus of the ministry since it saw Muslims as a vote bank, Rijiju said, "The Narendra Modi government's schemes are benefiting Muslims just like they benefit other communities. Then why should Muslims remain a vote bank for the Congress? This is damaging not just for the nation but for Muslims as well. When they become the vote bank of one political party and its allies, it does more harm than good."

The Union government will work keeping all six minority communities in the country together and will make "people aware that a wrong narrative is being spread by Rahul Gandhi and his associates that minorities are not safe in India".

Gandhi is speaking ill of the country on foreign soil and is collaborating with anti-India forces, the Union minister alleged.

"See the sort of politics being played? Have you ever heard of a leader going abroad and maligning its image? People have rejected him for 10 years and now he is abusing the country abroad and joining hands with anti-India forces," Rijju said.

In America, Gandhi blurted out what he thought of reservations and then resorted to cover it up, Rijiju alleged.

During his trip to the USA recently, Gandhi had said one can think of ending reservations when India becomes a "fair place", which he added it wasn't at the moment. Gandhi had later clarified saying he was not against reservations and in fact wanted to remove the 50 per cent cap on it so that more people can be benefitted.

Queried about Muslim representation in the BJP, Rijiju said, "It is not one-way politics. How can our candidate win if they don't vote for us? We cannot snatch anyone's vote. If we get votes from the community, we will have MPs and ministers from that community. If we don't get votes, how can we make MPs and ministers?"

Rijiju also said his ministry, in partnership with state governments, will be setting up 'Samvidhan Bhavans' in every district to provide facilities to citizens.