New Delhi: Asserting that the US state department’s 2018 International Religious Freedom report shows a “clear bias” against the Narendra Modi-led government and the BJP, the ruling party on Saturday said party leaders strongly deplored violence against minorities and weaker sections of society. Contending that the BJP believes in “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas” (with all, development for all)”and that Indians recently reaffirmed their confidence on the development agenda under Mr Modi’s leadership, the party said the report completely ignored this fact.
The report, released on June 21, alleged that some senior BJP leaders “made inflammatory speeches against minority communities”.
“Mob attacks by violent extremist Hindu groups against minority communities, especially Muslims, continued throughout the year amid rumors that victims had traded or killed cows for beef,” it added.
“The basic presumption in this report that there is some grand design behind anti-minority violence is simply false. On the contrary, in most of such cases, these instances are carried out as a result of local disputes and by (people with) criminal mindsets,” BJP Rajya Sabha MP and its media head Anil Baluni said in a statement.
He said whenever needed, Mr Modi and other BJP leaders have strongly deplored violence against minorities and weaker sections of the society. The BJP leader said India has deep-rooted democratic institutions, including fiercely independent and pro-active judiciary, which is quite capable of handling such disputes and punish the guilty.
Unfortunately, this fact is completely ignored in this report, he said, adding that the Bharatiya Janata Party under the leadership of Modi believes in “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas” (With all, development for all).
“Mega schemes launched and effectively implemented by the Modi government have benefited all the castes and religions equally. BJP is indeed proud of its record in uplifting living standards of all poor, underprivileged sections of the society, irrespective of their faith and gender,” read the statement.
Indian people have recently reaffirmed their confidence on the development agenda of the BJP-led NDA alliance by giving Mr Modi a massive mandate in the parliamentary election, he said.
