While the BJP Chief Ministers led by Gujarat CM Narendra Modi accused the Prime Minister of dividing the society on the pretext of his 15-point plan for minorities, Manmohan Singh Refuted the charges emphasizing that the plan did not intend to segregate people on caste or religious lines, but focused on the development of the most deprived segments of the society.

Launching a scathing attack on the Congress-led UPA government at the Centre for endeavoring to introduce communal budgeting in the 11th Five Year Plan, Narendra Modi demanded a review of the proposed 15-point program keeping in view the social fabric of the nation.

Describing the plan as a ‘discriminatory move’, he alleged that policies enabling the diverting of funds to people simply because they belonged to minority groups would not help in the holistic development of India and its people. He was of the opinion that if implemented, the policy would further divide the people of the country on religious and caste lines.

Later, talking to the media, Modi said that the proposed plan earmarks 15 percent of the targets and outlays in the draft of the Eleventh Five Year Plan for the minority communities and it cannot be said that the move has been initiated keeping in view the country’s overall development. On the contrary, it smacks of electoral politics, the Gujarat Chief Minister alleged.

In his reply, the Prime Minister refuted all the charges castigated by the BJP Chief Ministers, including Narendra Modi and Shivraj Chouhan. The Prime Minister emphasized that the plan aimed at investing with the people so that they may actively take part in the country’s development and economic growth processes.

He reiterated that the minority budgeting did not endeavor to divide the people of the nation on the base of caste, creed or religion.

The Prime Minister, however, admitted that disparities exist in the society as many sections of the population are still deprived of the benefits of development. The new plan, he said, focused on their uplift and brining them to the mainstream of the society. Hence, it is not another step to divide the people, Singh reiterated.

Political observers, meanwhile, are of the opinion that by raking up the issue the BJP is simply trying to reap political mileage anticipating a mid-term general election sometime next year. They argue that the plan is now an open book and hence there is no need to take it up at such a high level.

Another significant factor that was witnessed at Wednesday’s meeting was that though the BJP Chief Ministers raised a hue and cry over the issue, its allies preferred to distance themselves from the BJP’s stand. Hence, Neither the Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, his Orissa counterpart Naveen Patnaik backed their senior ally on this occasion.

 

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