NEW DELHI: Union minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi on Monday asserted that minorities in India are living in an atmosphere of trust and not of fear. The Minority Affairs minister, elevated to the Cabinet rank on Sunday, also blamed a 'mourning brigade' for painting a picture of gloom among minorities. “There is no atmosphere of fear prevailing in the country among minorities. Rather, there is an atmosphere of trust among them...A ‘vilaap mandali’ (mourning brigade) was propagating the view about fear,” Naqvi said, without specifying who he was referring to. Naqvi reiterated that the government would focus on the empowerment of minority communities by providing them with education and employment opportunities.
The newly sworn-in cabinet minister said the minorities had full faith in the government for the work it was doing for their “upliftment”. He said the government believed in empowering the poor and minorities with 'dignity' and that welfare schemes were being implemented for them.
Naqvi also attacked the opposition for allegedly spreading lies. He said, "You have seen they blamed EVMs when they lost (assembly) polls (in Uttar Pradesh and other states), when demonetisation happened and now again when the council of ministers has been re-jigged.” When asked about the ban on instant triple talaq, Naqvi said the practice of instant divorce was a social ill at variance with the principle of gender equality as mentioned in the Constitution. “Our government works within the framework of the Constitution...The Supreme Court has already given its verdict on the issue. We welcome that,” he said. On August 22, the apex court banned the 1,400 year-old practice of instant triple talaq among Sunni Muslims and set it aside on several grounds including that it was against the basic tenets of the Quran.
New entrant in the council of ministers Virendra Kumar, who was sworn in as the minister of state for Minority Affairs on Sunday, lauded the initiatives taken by the ministry till now, particularly those relating to skill development among minorities. Kumar also attacked the opposition for spreading false allegations that there was an “atmosphere of fear among minorities”. He said, “The opposition is scattered and is not in a position to challenge Modiji. That’s why such allegations.”