Union Minister Kiren Rijiju has launched a scathing critique of the Congress party, alleging that it has transformed the Ministry of Minority Affairs into a platform primarily serving the Muslim community, thereby sidelining other minority groups for electoral advantages. His remarks were made during a press conference in Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar on Sunday.
Rijiju stated, “The Congress party had made the Ministry of Minority Affairs into a Muslim Affairs Ministry to create a particular community vote bank.” He pointed out that, under Congress leadership, a rule was implemented that mandated only a Muslim could serve as the chairman of the National Minority Commission. “This is unconstitutional… This committee was formed to look after six minority communities, but the other five communities were sidelined. Everyone has suffered because of this,” he added.
The Union Minister further criticized Congress’s political strategies, accusing the party of employing a divide-and-rule tactic to secure electoral victories. He emphasized, “This has harmed everyone, but the biggest loss has been to Muslims because the Congress party established Muslims as a vote bank.” He argued that when a community is treated as a vote bank, it inevitably suffers. “Whenever elections approach, the Congress party assumes they will automatically secure 15 percent of the Muslim vote, leading them to neglect their needs,” Rijiju claimed.
Rijiju’s statements come at a pivotal time as Maharashtra gears up for assembly elections later this year. The Election Commission of India has yet to announce the official poll dates, but the political landscape is heating up. The upcoming elections will witness a contest between the Maha Vikas Aghadi coalition, which includes the Shiv Sena (UBT), NCP (Sharad Pawar faction), and Congress, and the ruling Mahayuti Alliance, comprising the BJP, Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde faction), and NCP (Ajit Pawar faction).
In the 2019 assembly elections, the BJP emerged victorious with 105 seats, while Congress managed to secure 44 seats. As the political rivalry intensifies, Rijiju’s comments underscore the growing discourse surrounding minority representation and electoral strategies within the state.
