BJP can’t claim representation of Punjab Hindus: Manish Tewari
Monday, 23/05/2016
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Jalandhar : Senior Congress leader and former Union Minister Manish Tewari on Sunday said that the BJP had no right to claim representation of the interests of Hindus in Punjab or safeguarding these.
“A common Hindu in Punjab feels that the BJP in the state has been reduced to the status of a minority morcha of the SAD without any say in the government,” he said while addressing a conference on the ‘political future of Hindus in Punjab’ organised by the Hindu Jagrati Maha Sabha, Punjab, at the Red Cross Bhawan here on Sunday.
The former Minister maintained that there was a feeling among a large section of the Hindus that they were not being adequately represented in the political system of the state. “Now, was the time to ensure that the social and economic equitability was extended to the political system so that no section felt ignored and left out. There was a growing demand that there has to be equality in political representation among all sections including the Dalits and the Hindus,” he said.
Tewari said while the Congress has always maintained a strong secular character and has been accommodative in addressing the aspirations of all sections of society, the BJP has only exploited the emotions and sentiments of the Hindus in Punjab. “As a result of this, there is virtually no development in the urban areas and trade and industry has been left out to their own fate by the Akali-BJP government from its scheme of things,” he said.
The former union minister said that the purpose of this seminar was to create awareness among the community and warn them against being exploited by the vested interests in the name of religion.
Speaking on the occasion spiritual guru, Acharya Pramod Krishnam, president, Bhartiya Sant Samiti, lashed out at the Prime Minister Narendra Modi for first exploiting the sentiments of the Hindus and then letting them down. He reminded Modi of his promises before the election about cleaning the Ganga and the construction of the Ram temple and the abrogation of the Article 370.
