Author: Shekhar Iyer, New Delhi
Publication: Hindustan Times
Dated: September 7, 2007
Introduction: Apart from its serious constitutional
vulnerability, this directive has very dangerous and sinister implications
for the unity and integrity of India. - Ravi Shankar Prasad
The BJP has questioned a Department of Personnel
& Training (DoPT) directive to all state governments for posting Muslim
policemen, teachers and workers in areas with large Muslim population.
BJP spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad said:
"The directive, apart from its serious constitutional vulnerability,
has very dangerous and sinister implications for the unity and integrity of
India."
"In fact this directive is reminiscent
of the frequent demand which the Muslim League used to raise during the pre-Partition
days," he said.
He said while the framers of the Constitution
took steps for preservation of linguistic, cultural, educational rights of
minorities as also freedom of religion, they specifically turned down the
demand for communal employment, communal policing, communal budgeting, and
communal electorate.
Prasad said the BJP would appeal to the "right-thinking
Indians" to oppose it and confront any such move with "all its might".
He said the BJP strongly believes in justice
for all and appeasement of none and that minorities, including Muslims should
be given good educational training and scientific knowledge.
"It is self-evident that the present
dangerous and divisive circular is the by-product of compensatory politics
being a fallout of the self-created mess of the UPA government pertaining
to the civil nuclear deal with the US," he said.
Prasad held that the Congress had not learnt
any lessons from the dangerous consequences of compensatory politics in spite
of the Shah Bano issue of the 1980s.
