By IANS,
Kolkata: Dismissing a report which said that the condition of Muslims in West Bengal was worse than in Gujarat, Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee Wednesday said the Muslim community lived in peace and harmony in his state, unlike in Gujarat.
“Please don’t compare the conditions of Muslims of Bengal with that of Gujarat. Here, Muslims leave in peace and harmony whereas Muslims in Gujarat live with fear and distrust,” Bhattacharjee said.
A report published in an English daily stated that an analysis of data by Abu Saleh Sheriff, chief economist of the National Council of Applied Economic Research, showed that Bengal’s minority had got very little benefit from development measures.
The report also claimed that more than 50 percent of Muslim children in the state were out of school and only 2.1 percent of Bengal’s 25.2 percent Muslims had government jobs.
“The data and the report both are absolutely bogus. This report has said 50 percent of the minority students are out of school. It is totally bogus.
“If you follow Pratichi Trust report by Professor Amartya Sen, they have stated that there has been 99 percent enrolment in primary schools. With 99 percent enrolment in primary schools, how can 50 percent minority children be left out,” he asked.