My government not anti-minority: PM Modi

Amid concerns in sections of the international community about the safety of minorities in India, India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi has underlined that there is just one holy book in the government’s agenda, which is the Constitution of India. Rebutting the charge that his government is anti-minority, he also assured that it was his responsibility to ensure their complete safety.

In an interview to TIME Magazine, the prime minister said, “Wherever a (negative) view might have been expressed (about) a minority religion, we have immediately negated that… The unity and the integrity of the country are the topmost priorities.”

“All religions and all communities have the same rights, and it is my responsibility to ensure their complete and total protection,” he said.

There have been sporadic cases of attacks on minorities and their religious places in parts of India in recent months. While speaking to the magazine’s editors ahead of his government’s first anniversary year, Mr Modi said, “My government will not tolerate or accept any discrimination based on caste, creed and religion.”

Mr Modi’s comments should be of some comfort to the minorities in India, who are otherwise amalgamated into the multi-religious secular fabric of Indian societies. In the days ahead, the Modi government has to walk the talk by taking concrete steps for the socio-economic uplift of minorities in the country.

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