In a recent incident in the United States, Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar was confronted by a journalist who raised concerns about discrimination against minorities in India. The minister swiftly dismissed the journalist’s insinuations, challenging them to provide evidence of such discrimination. Nevertheless, it appears that certain Indian leftist media outlets, such as The Telegraph and The Wire, have taken it upon themselves to question the foreign minister’s assertions, seemingly to curry favor with their overseas sponsors.
In response to an inquiry regarding purported discrimination against minority groups in India and critiques voiced by certain American politicians, Jaishankar said, “I know many of them have strong views, often electorally driven, sometimes culturally driven. All of that so I’m a little hesitant to address specific examples. So, as broad propositions, all I can say where India is concerned is that the underlying culture of India is deeply pluralistic.”
Furthermore the minister said, “Now when you look at the benefits of that, look at housing, look at health, look at food, look at finance, educational access and health access. I defy you to show me discrimination.”
In light of Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar’s recent dismissal of Western media’s inquiries about alleged “minority discrimination,” publications like The Telegraph and The Wire have revisited the topic. They highlighted instances where leaders from the Bhartiya Janata Party had made rhetorical statements targeting Muslims. Consequently, some of these left-leaning media outlets have categorized these speeches as instances of anti-Muslim rhetoric, characterizing them as forms of discrimination against the Muslim community.
The assertions put forth by leftist media outlets pose a significant question: how do we define discrimination? In their attempts to challenge Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar’s stance, both The Wire and The Telegraph cite few instances. However, this raises another question: can a political party boasting over 1600 MPs and MLAs be accurately assessed based on the rhetoric of a few fringe elements within its ranks? Furthermore, if this premise holds true, what about the statements made by opposition leaders targeting Hindus and Hindu leaders? Does it imply that the entire INDI alliance discriminates against Hindus in India?
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Fact Check
We will begin to refute the assertions presented by The Telegraph and The Wire by establishing two key arguments. Firstly, we will present counterarguments where opposition leaders have delivered speeches with anti-Hindu undertones, resulting in the offense of sentiments shared by a vast population. Secondly, we will demonstrate that the Government of India, has non-discriminatory stance in its array of initiatives and policies directed towards minority communities.
Opposition Leaders’ Anti-Hindu Sentiments
This incident is steeped in political discourse, with UdhayNidhi Stalin’s statement that “Sanatan Dharma should be eradicated” serving as a focal point. Notably, the opposition bloc did not vehemently condemn this statement; instead, they rallied behind Stalin Jr.’s remarks. Similarly, the son of Congress President Priyank Kharge made a similar comment, and even Mallikarjun Kharge had previously hinted at not wanting Sanatan Dharma to prosper.
Additionally, Swami Prasad Maurya, a leader from the Samajwadi Party, has consistently made contentious remarks against Hinduism, with the support of Akhilesh Yadav. Surprisingly, no action has been taken against Maurya for potentially hurting Hindu sentiments. Furthermore, supporters of Swami Prasad Maurya and Akhilesh engaged in a disturbing act of burning the sacred Hindu book, Ramcharitmanas, committing an act of blasphemy.
Furthermore, Congress leader Imran Masood openly made a threatening statement about Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with a crowd of Muslim supporters cheering in response. AIMIM leader Akbaruddin Owaisi’s genocidal speech, in which he spoke of massacring Hindus, continues to haunt the Hindu community in Hyderabad.
TMC leader Saket Gokhale’s support for Islamist terrorists during the Leicester violence is another concerning aspect. Additionally, after the West Bengal assembly elections, hundreds of Hindu families who had voted for the BJP were forced to flee and seek refuge in the neighboring state of Assam.
The list of anti-Hindu hate speeches by leaders of the INDI alliance could go on, prompting questions about whether the entire opposition bloc holds an anti-Hindu stance. If this is indeed the case, clarification is necessary. In an era when media outlets with communist and liberal leanings like The Wire and The Telegraph often present one side of the story, we strive to provide a comprehensive view. However, in the next part of this article, we will endeavor to demonstrate that there is no discrimination against minorities by the Indian government, as asserted by Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar.
No Discrimination Against Minorities
Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a series of initiatives have been introduced, with a particular focus on minority communities, in addition to schemes benefiting all citizens. Remarkably, over 33% of the beneficiaries are from the Muslim community.
During an event hosted by India Today, Former Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi compellingly asserted that various schemes have provided substantial benefits to Muslims. For instance, 33% of the benefits under PM Kisan Samman Yojna go to Muslims, over 36% of PM Mudra Yojana beneficiaries are Muslims, and 31% of houses under the PM Housing scheme are allocated to Muslims. Additionally, 37% of minority women have been recipients of the Ujjawala Yojana benefits, along with similar trends observed in the Ayushman Yojana and various other schemes initiated by PM Modi.
The generosity of these initiatives has been so significant that even left-leaning media outlets have been compelled to acknowledge it. The Print, for instance, reported that “More Muslims received government scholarships under the Modi government than during the Congress-led UPA-2.” Moreover, the school dropout rate among Muslim girls, which was previously at 70%, has now dropped to around 30%. Furthermore, the provision of free IAS coaching for minorities adds to this extensive list of benefits.
Therefore, claims made by leftist media outlets like The Telegraph and The Wire are highly misleading and dubious in nature, seemingly influenced by their Western affiliations. However, we remain steadfast in countering such attempts by leftist media. In summary, the Indian government does not discriminate in its schemes and initiatives based on caste, creed, or religion. Both The Telegraph and The Wire have earned a reputation for their anti-India stance since 2014. They have selectively highlighted six incidents that occurred during Prime Minister Modi’s lengthy nine-year tenure to craft a narrative. This caliber of journalism deserves the most emphatic condemnation possible.
| Claim | Modi government discriminates against minority communities. |
| Claimed by | The Telegraph and The Wire |
| Fact Check | Misleading |
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