By IANS,
Lucknow : Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati Monday sought a ban on political parties whose “sole intention is to create communal disturbances” even as she said the Muslim community could resort to armed struggle if it was continued to be viewed with suspicion.
Without naming any party, Mayawati said: “Such political outfits must be banned with immediate effect as their sole intention is to cause riots and communal clashes.”
She was speaking here at an all-India convention to discuss problems faces by Muslims.
Wooing the minority community ahead of the Lok Sabha elections due early next year, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) leader said: “Though only a handful of persons involved in terror activities are Muslims, the entire community across the nation is being looked at with suspicion. This has led to a strong resentment amongst the Muslims.”
If this situation continues, Muslims will revolt against political outfits, especially the Congress party, as Sikhs had after the assassination of prime minister Indira Gandhi, she said.
Mayawati accused the Congress-led central government of not taking concrete measures to combat terrorism in the aftermath of a series of bombings in major cities in recent months.
“The foremost challenge before the central government is to strengthen the country’s intelligence system. Moreover, it also needs to ensure all intelligence units of the states work in tandem with the national intelligence system,” said Mayawati.
“I wrote a letter in this regard to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Oct 10.”
She blamed the Congress for the educational, social and economical backwardness of Muslims.
“After independence, the Congress has ruled the country for nearly 48 years. During this long span, it never implemented any of the welfare schemes it announced for Muslims or other minority communities,” she alleged.
Terming the India-US nuclear deal as “anti-national”, Mayawati accused the Samajwadi Party, the BSP’s main rival in this state, of having supported the Congress over the controversial pact only for its vested interests.
Mayawati also announced a slew of schemes aiming to promote education among the youth of the minority.
“An Arabic-Persian university will be set up in Lucknow. Several primary schools, junior high-schools and government secondary schools will be established in Muslim-dominated areas,” she announced at the convention.
For the upcoming university, the government has earmarked Rs.100 million (Rs.10 crore) while for the schools Rs.1.35 billion (Rs.135 crore) has been sanctioned, she said.
For raising the educational standards of Muslims, Mayawati also announced that her government will give financial grants to 100 more madrassas in the state.
She announced the Kanshiram self-employment scheme to create job opportunities for youths of minority communities.
A coaching institute to help youths of minority communities in preparing for the civil services and other competitive examinations will also be set up, she said.
“The government will spend nearly Rs.4 crore (Rs.40 million) on the forthcoming coaching institute,” said Mayawati.
For promoting the Urdu language, the chief minister announced a hike in the financial grant to the Uttar Pradesh Urdu Academy. “The grant will be doubled from Rs.1.5 crore (Rs.15 million) to Rs.3 crore,” said Mayawati.
She said a separate Unani Board will be set up at a cost of Rs.30 million (Rs.3 crore) to revive the traditional medical science.
The state government will also recruit more Urdu teachers in Muslim-dominated areas, said Mayawati.
The convention was attended by several Muslim religious leaders, including Shia cleric Kalbe Sadiq and Sunni cleric Rasheed Firangi Maheli.