File photo of Union minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi
The Centre will shortly announce a major policy decision towards empowerment of Muslims and other minority communities in the country, Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said today.
"In the coming days... during or after Eid, a major announcement, especially for the minorities' socio-economic, educational empowerment and to uplift them, a scheme will be launched that will directly benefit the minorities in Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, J&K and other parts of the country," Mr Naqvi told reporters in Hyderabad after participating in an Iftar organised by the BJP.
"The proposed scheme to be launched after Eid, to uplift and empower minorities and Muslims, will focus on education and employment opportunities for their youths and towards infrastructure development in their areas," said the Union Minister of State for Minority Affairs.
"I feel that whatever money that was spent by the (successive) Central and state governments in the country so far in the name of empowerment and development of minorities and Muslims in particular... had that been spent honestly then not a single youth belonging to minorities would have remained unemployed," Mr Naqvi asserted.
"Now a brake has been applied on all that loot," he said.
According to Mr Naqvi, a development package for Jammu and Kashmir by the central government is also in the offing.
The senior BJP leader added that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has taken an initiative for better relations with Pakistan.
"We believe that under Narendra Modi ji, India's relationship with Pakistan will improve and hatred will get finished," he said.
People in both the countries seek to live in peaceful atmosphere, he said adding, "However, some forces who are enemies of peace, try to create problems, but such things will fail and both the countries will progress on developmental path."