New Delhi:National Minority Commission member Manjit Singh Rai has lashed out at the opposition parties who were saying that India was becoming a 'communal' country.
Speaking to ETV Bharat on the issues pertaining to opposition's complaints accusing the ruling Narendra Modi-led BJP government of polarizing the country, Rai said that a false image of the country was being created by the Opposition for their vested interests.
"If you see the record in the last 5 years, communal riots have lessened as compared to the earlier times. Still, some people of building a false image of the country. It is the corrupt lot who are having problems with the honest work done by the Prime Minister so they are playing the communal card," Rai said.
Opposition parties creates false communal image of the country: Manjit Singh Rai Rai further opined that the situation of minorities in India was much better as compared to the neighbouring countries of South Asia.
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"You should see the condition of minorities in countries like Pakistan. It started from 23% and now they have just 1% minority left in the country. Now compare that to the situation in India it is much better and the minorities are progressing along with the majority population. Yet there is a systematic way in which this 'award-wapsi' gang is defaming our country and PM Modi," Rai added.
On being asked in particular about the Sikh community in India, the minority commission member said that the Kartarpur corridor opening was a welcome move but it could have been done much earlier. "If you see the geography of Kartarpur Sahib, it is just next to the border. While I appreciate the move of the opening of the Kartarpur corridor, my point is that we should have gotten it back at the time of partition and I question why did the government not get it back then?" questioned Rai.
Rai believed a lot of 'dirty politics' was done over the Kartarpur Sahib corridor and was particularly critical of Navjot Singh Sidhu who has also been recently receiving criticism from a lot of Sikh bodies for chanting "Allah Hu Akbar" in a rally while campaigning for Congress.
"Sidhu meeting the separatist in name of opening the Kartarpur corridor is an insult to the Martyrs of the country. He is the Cabinet Minister of Punjab and he should understand that these are the same people who have killed our 44 jawans in Pulwama attack" Rai said.