Modi rejects charges of discrimination against minorities as ‘usual tropes’
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has dismissed the allegations of discrimination against religious minorities in the country as “usual tropes” propagated by those “who don’t bother to meet people outside their bubbles”.
In an interview with US Newsweek magazine, Prime Minister Modi suggested that these claims of discrimination do not resonate with the reality experienced by minorities themselves.
The prime minister asserted that India’s minorities, including Muslims, Christians, Buddhists, Sikhs, Jains, and even micro-minorities like Parsis, are “living happily and thriving in India.”
He said that the government initiatives are crafted to transcend barriers of community or geography, ensuring equitable distribution to all citizens.
“For the first time in our country, our government has come up with a unique saturation coverage approach when it comes to schemes and initiatives. They are not restricted for a group of people belonging to a particular community or a geography,” Modi was quoted as saying by the American weekly.
According to him, these initiatives, ranging from housing, sanitation facilities, water access, and cooking fuel to financial assistance and healthcare provisions, are meticulously designed to eliminate any possibility of discrimination.
“They are meant to reach everyone, which means that they are designed in such a way that there cannot be any discrimination. Be it amenities like house, toilets, water connection or cooking fuel or be it collateral-free credit or health insurance, it is reaching every citizen irrespective of his community and religion,” he said.
During the wide-ranging interview carried by the magazine under the headline “Narendra Modi and the Unstoppable Rise of India”, the prime minister, who is seeking a rare third term in office, talked about the border dispute with China and the criticism of ending Jammu and Kashmir’s special status.
Modi said there is a need to urgently address the “prolonged situation on our borders” so that the abnormality in bilateral interactions can be put behind.
A military standoff was triggered along Line of Actual Control (LAC) by actions of the Chinese military in eastern Ladakh in May 2020 and some “friction points” remain to be resolved. The two countries have held a series of meetings between senior commanders and of Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs (WMCC).
“For India, the relationship with China is important and significant. It is my belief that we need to urgently address the prolonged situation on our borders so that the abnormality in our bilateral interactions can be put behind us,” he said.