Patna: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Thursday blamed Congress for the plight of the minority community of the country in an apparently bid to woo Muslims voters ahead of the upcoming Assembly polls in the state.
"The Congress cannot absolve itself of the blame for the poor condition of the minority community as it has ruled the country for the better part of the 63 years since independence," he said at the Pasmanda (professionally poor Muslims) Adhikar Sammelan in Patna.
Both the Rajindar Sachchar and Rangnath Misra committee reports have highlighted the plight of Muslims, Kumar said. Kumar alleged that the mindset of Congress towards Muslims has not changed.
The Chief Minister referred to the rejection of the state government's proposal for the Central grants for improving educational infrastructure in Kishanganj, one of the seven Muslim-dominated districts in Bihar, covered under a central scheme to cater to education of the children of the minority community.
On measures taken by his government to promote education of Muslim and Dalit children, the Chief Minister said 1,127 madrasas have been given liberal grants.
The NDA government has decided to restore power of the state Madrasa Board to grant recognition to unaided seminaries to make them eligible to give grants for development of educational infrastructure within their premises.
JD(U) Rajya Sabha member Ali Anwar Ansari, main organiser of the Pasmanda Adhikar Sammelan, appealed to the gathering to reward the NDA government with another term in office.
Kumar also received kudos from Muslim religious and political leaders for returning a cheque of Rs 5 crore to BJP-ruled Gujarat last month. Kumar returned the money angry over publication of the controversial advertisement showing him and his Gujarat counterpart Narendra Modi holding hands, All India Momin Conference (AIMC) Vice-President Maulana Zunaid Banarasi said at the Pasmanda Adhikar Sammelan.
"Your work and name are being lauded," he said.
A religious cleric and Imam of Jama Masjid, Munger, Maulana Abdul Bukhari sought to make light of the chief minister sharing power with BJP and described the matter as JD(U)'s political compulsion.
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