Poor across all religion benefited under Modi govt; no major riot happened in BJP-ruled states: Shah

BJP president Amit Shah Thursday said the Modi government has ensured welfare of poor irrespective of their religious background and asserted that no major communal riot has happened in the states where his party is in power.

Speaking at the inaugural session of the BJP minority wing's national convention, Shah took a dig at the Congress, saying those who claimed that minorities have the first right on the country's resources did nothing for them.

"There were people who used to say that minorities have first right on the resources of the country but they did not give them that right. Whereas we believed that poor have the first right on the country's resources and the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government ensured this by providing benefits to all poor irrespective of their religion," Shah said.

Taking on the opposition, Shah questioned why minorities are lagging behind despite the fact that those people who kept "appeasing minorities" ruled the country for nearly five decades.

Stating that misconceptions were spread about the BJP that if it comes to power, people from different cultures would not able to practice their traditions, Shah underlined that the BJP and the Modi government believes in "sabka sath sabka vikas" (with all, development for all).

"As a BJP chief, with pride I can say that today the BJP is in power in 16 states and not a single major riot happened during the party's tenure. The riots stopped happening in the country as soon as the Congress, the SP and the BSP governments ended in the states. A fake propaganda was running against the BJP that if it comes to power what will be happen to people of various religions in the country," Shah said amid loud chants of 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai'.

The "'waqf mafia" looted waqf boards' lands under protection by pseudo-secular parties, Shah said, adding the Modi government has ensured transparency in all such matters.

He also referred to the Modi government's push for passage of the Triple Talaq Bill, which calls for imprisonment for Muslim men accused of instant divorce, and said it is meant to give justice to Muslim women.

The school dropout rate of Muslim girls has fallen to 32 per cent from 72, he said, adding that the government's schemes to connect the poor with power and cooking gas connections have benefitted Muslim women as well.