Party rules out Bill to redefine minorities

The BJP will oppose the proposed 103rd constitutional amendment Bill to redefine minorities both in Parliament and outside, the party National President Rajnath Singh announced on Friday.

Singh said the BJP believes such an amendment was “dangerous” as it would divide the country. He said the National Commission for Minority Educational Institutions Chairman M S A Siddique had already registered his protest by writing to the Centre.

The UPA Cabinet has already approved the Bill, and if it goes ahead, the party will oppose it, Singh said.

He asked the Government to reconsider its decision to table the Bill “which goes against the spirit of the Constitution”.

He said the country has already seen one partition but a new definition of minorities that will change from state to state could cause more divisions. “Whatever had to be defined has been defined and it should be treated as final.”

Referring to Home Minister Shivraj Patil’s statement that not every act of terrorism and infiltration can be blamed on Pakistan, and that of the Defence Minister expressing concern over infiltration, he said the UPA was sounding confused. He felt the country needed an anti-terror law which is more stringent than the POTA.

He suggested to the Election Commission that an all-party meeting be called to discuss ways to hold Assembly and Lok Sabha elections simultaneously to save on money, energy and time.