Heptualla calls upon people to ensure communal harmony

Minority Affairs Minister Najma Heptualla Friday called upon the people to ensure communal harmony in the country, adding that the government alone cannot do it.

Speaking at a function of the minority affairs ministry here, she referred to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's message from the Red Fort on Independence Day on communal harmony.

"Let us honour the prime minister's word and spare no effort to ensure communal harmony and peace," she said.

"Government is doing its best, but the task cannot be completed unless we, as individuals and society, understand there is no place for violence in our society," the minister said.

Heptulla said there were concerns when the Bharatiya Janata Party government came, that the minority affairs ministry will be discontinued.

"All sorts of wild rumours were afloat when the new government under the leadership of Narendra Modi assumed office. One such canard was that one of the first actions of the government would be to scrap the ministry of minority affairs," she said.

The minister said on the contrary, Modi told her he felt Muslims have not been given their rights in 60 years of Independence.

"...With a lot of anguish, the prime minister said in last 60 years, Muslim community has been deprived of basic rights of a citizen... The right of education, shelter, job security, and life security," she said.