If we are doing hawabaazi, what was Congress' talk, asks Najma Heptulla

Interview with Union Minister of Minority Affairs

Union Minister of Minority Affairs Najma Heptulla says the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will win the Bihar Assembly elections on development plank, despite the opposition alliance. Heptulla, in an interview with Sanjay Jog, also countered the Congress' criticism that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's poll promises were hawa baazi.

The Bihar Assembly poll is a litmus test for the BJP. Will BJP repeat its stunning performance there alike the Lok Sabha election?

The BJP will win ensuing Assembly election in Bihar. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's inclusive growth agenda "Sabka saath sabka vikas'' is an affirmative action for the poor, neglected and it will be BJP's poll agenda. The BJP won the Lok Sabha election on this plank.

Bihar is neglected, under-developed and backward in education, health care and in so many fields. Voters, who have voted for Modi's development agenda in the Lok Sabha elections, will do it this time too in Bihar.

Will the alliance of opposition prevent division of votes among minorities?

I have not made an in-depth study of the ground situation in Bihar. However, I strongly feel that a slew of decisions taken by our government will penetrate to states, including Bihar, and will help bridge the gap.

The Congress has stepped up its attack saying that Modi's poll promises were hawa baazi (hot air). What you have to say?

We have got our track-record, we can show what difference we are making. We have to give an account of couple of months as we have been in office for one year and four months. However, the Congress, which ruled the country for 60 years, is also entitled to give its account. If we are doing hawa baazi, what was the Congress party's talk?

Is the Congress yet to come to terms with reality?

The Congress is still in its old frame of mind and therefore leveling allegations against us. To be very honest, the Congress should look into their actions. They have been using mostly propaganda. They have talked about minorities, but why the minorities are backward which is evident from the Sachhar committee report and which is again repeated in the Kundu committee report. The Sachhar committee was appointed by the United Progressive Alliance government but they never implemented it. The Kundu committee was also appointed by the previous government to assess the Sachhar committee's report. So the follies and weaknesses of their own government is true indication through Sachhar and Kundu committee reports.

The main thing is they should realise that the people are not fools. Muslims are not fools any more. In the past they had no other alternative so they had to be with the Congress party.

Muslims have been used as vote bank by the Congress over the years. But when you use the bank, you have to deposit something in the bank. If you go on withdrawing, the bank will become bankrupt. Instead they kept on drawing things out of it. They should have deposited something in terms of development, education. The Congress started some programmes but were incomplete, as they were not reaching down to the people.

Is the government serious about the welfare of minorities?

My ministry has taken a number of new initiatives to strengthen the efforts towards economic empowerment through skill development and education in minorities. These actions are to accomplish all the commitments made for minorities in the run-up to the Lok Sabha elections. These initiatives are in line with Modi's inclusive growth agenda.

To mention a few, the government has awarded 8.6 million scholarships across the country of which the coverage of girls was more than 46 per cent.

The ministry has established Maulana Azad National Academy for Skills to promote entrepreneurship and skill development with credit linkages.