BJP slams central advisory on Muslim recruitments

The BJP on Thursday voiced its deep concern over the Manmohan Singh government’s latest mantra to woo the minorities--directive to the state governments to the post Muslim policemen, teachers and health workers in areas dominated by the community-members, and asserted it'd oppose tooth and nail the Congress-led combine’s minority appeasement plank.

The party saw the directive, sent to the state governments by the department of personnel and training as yet another manifestation of the vote bank politics being pursued by the Manmohan Singh government. The move, the saffron outfit argued, was motivated by the Congress’ apprehensions about the political fallout of the nuclear deal signed with the Bush administration, and was aimed at neutralising its impact on the Muslim sentiments.

“This directive, apart from its serious constitutional vulnerability, has very dangerous and sinister implications for the country’s unity and integrity,’’ asserted BJP spokesman Ravi Shankar Prasad, adding, “In fact, this directive is reminiscent of frequent demand which the Muslim League used to raise during the pre-Partition days.’’

“Is it just, fair, reasonable and in national interest at all to presume that even after 60 years of independence, a non-Muslim police force cannot protect Muslims? What message are we giving, especially at a time when India is bearing the brunt of an all-out attack from terrorists and their patrons inside and outside the country? Would it not openly encourage terrorists to boldly denounce all investigations against them as farce simply because the investigating team did not include any Muslim officer or, that they would not face trial unless there is a Muslim judge?’’ the BJP spokesman asked, adding, “The mute voices which we hear in this regard now would only become louder and stronger in the coming days.’’

The BJP leader felt that such a directive could trigger a chain reaction, would more communities trying to jump the appeasement bandwagon. ``What’d happen if other communities too start raising similar demands that they should be policed by officers belonging to their community?’’ Mr Prasad sought to know.

The BJP, he maintained, strongly believed in the slogan ``justice for all and appeasement of none.’’ It is to be noted, he said, that in the 60 years of India’s independence, the Congress party has ruled at the Centre, either directly or indirectly, for 52 years. ``If the condition of these minorities is not satisfactory, the Congress itself has a lot of explaining to do....It is very disturbing to note that the principal ruling party has not learnt any lessons from the dangerous consequences of compensatory politics played by them during the Shah Bano episode of the 1980s,’’ the BJP spokesman said.