Senior Congress leader P. Chidambaram alleged discrimination against minorities under Prime Minister Modi’s regime in Hyderabad. He highlighted that minorities live in fear and face unequal representation in government and the judiciary. Chidambaram also expressed concerns about India’s democracy and rising inflation, emphasizing the need for change in Telangana.
In Hyderabad on Saturday, senior Congress leader P. Chidambaram alleged that minorities in the country are living in fear and facing discrimination during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s regime.
Addressing a ‘Christian Rights Meeting’ organized by Congress leaders in Telangana, Chidambaram highlighted that all communities in the country are grappling with challenges such as unemployment, inflation, decreased household savings, and increased household debt, resulting in a lack of their rightful share.
However, he asserted that minorities face an additional factor, discrimination, which prevents them from receiving their rightful share. He urged minorities not to live in fear, emphasizing their equal status as citizens of the country.
Chidambaram claimed that discrimination against minorities is prevalent across various sectors. He cited the underrepresentation of Christians in the Modi government, with only one Christian among 79 ministers, and the absence of any Christian judges among the 34 judges in the Supreme Court.
Referring to data from the National Crime Records Bureau, Chidambaram pointed out that between 2017 and 2021, there were 2,900 incidents of communal conflict in which minorities were disproportionately affected.
He also mentioned reports of alleged attacks on churches and a U.S. government report on international religious freedom that suggested a deterioration in religious freedom in India.
Chidambaram discussed the cancellation of Foreign Contributions Regulation Act (FCRA) registrations for 6,622 organizations by the NDA government between 2017 and 2022, emphasizing the importance of charitable work done by various organizations.
Furthermore, he expressed concerns about the state of India’s democracy and its impact on minorities if democracy were to weaken in the country.
Regarding rising prices, Chidambaram highlighted that inflation has exceeded six percent for the past 20 months, with food inflation at 9.2 percent, disproportionately affecting the poor.
He also commented on the recent Congress public meeting in Hyderabad and the indication it provided that Telangana is ready for change, expressing his belief that the state would have progressed faster with a Congress government since its formation in 2014.
