MUMBAI: There are many Indians living in Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka who want to return to their own land, but, the current government at the Centre doesn’t want it to happen, NCP Chief Sharad Pawar said here on Thursday while accusing the BJP government of dividing the society.
Pawar, who was addressing a meeting of the minority cell of the party at the state party headquarters here, stressed that bringing them back to power will be a grave mistake looking at BJP’s divisive policies.
Any government is expected to address issues pertaining to all sections of society. That is the responsibility of the leaders. However, the current government is engaged in creating doubts in the minds of people about their own rights, Pawar said while lashing out at the Union government.
"Many people from the minority community had fled the country in large numbers who wanted to return after the independence," Sharad Pawar said and added that it is the right of the Indian people staying in Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka to return to India, but the current government doesn’t accept the right. The government hasn’t thought over all aspects of the issue, like people of Indian origin born in neighbouring countries like Sri Lanka who want to come back to India, Pawar added.
He also accused the government of ignoring the minority community over CAA and NRC. He also said that VJNT communities (nomadic tribes) hardly stay at one place which makes it difficult to find their records. The BJP government has created a condition where they too would be compelled to give proofs of their birth, nationality etc, Pawar said.
Dy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, state NCP Chief Jayant Patil, Minorities welfare minister and NCP leader Nawab Malik were among the prominent party leaders who attended the meet.