New Delhi, Feb 16: Accusing the UPA of indulging in minority appeasement of the “crudest form” by asking religious details from the armed forces, the NDA today vowed to raise the issue in Parliament after question hour tomorrow and expose the hollowness of the UPA’s claims of helping the Muslim population.
Speaking to newspersons, BJP Spokesman Vijay Kumar Malhotra said the NDA had issued necessary notices to the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha secretariats wanting to raise the issue which not only divided the army but also gave scope for the enemy to meddle.
This situation had jeopardised the national interest and the armed forces had rightly resisted the “Muslim headcount,” the NDA said.
Malhotra said Armed forces in the country had maintained a secular image and these kind of “pandering” by the UPA would only make the nation weak. “No Muslim majority nation had ever allowed such a survey or allowed minorities in their countries any role for participation.”
He said three Muslim Presidents in India had been the Supreme Commanders of defence forces so far which itself spoke volumes about the secular credentials of Indian system but the UPA was only interested in minority vote bank at all costs. The Government’s “designs to headcount” were nothing but preposterous and atrocious and it was even more dangerous on the part of Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee to proclaim that nothing would come out of this survey.
On the Iran vote controversy, Malhotra said the BJP wanted Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to make a statement one day before the discussion explaining the rationale behind India’s support at the Board of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). They should also clarify if the decision was made under US pressure and monitoring.
Malhotra said President A P J Abdul Kalam’s address to the Joint Houses of Parliament was also nothing “but an attempt to appease minority votes” at a time when elections were due in West Bengal. The Parliament had provided succession rights to Hindu women by amending the Hindu Succession Act while denying the same privilege to the Muslim women. The BJP will protest this discrimination towards one section of women.
Meanwhile, Human Resources Minister Arjun Singh made an explanatory statement in Rajya Sabha explaining the rationale behind the government coming out with an Ordinance to amend the Minority Institutions Reservation Bill. (UNI)

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