It's easier to be communal than secular: Akhilesh Yadav

Lucknow: Chief minister Akhilesh Yadav on Friday said people should be wary of rogue elements who try to create caste or communal divide. "It is very easy to be communal but very difficult to remain secular," he said, while addressing a conference on communal harmony and Eid Milan organized by the Islamic Centre of India.

"People make an issue out of an incident, but they should, instead, talk about policies which deal with unemployment and welfare of the people of all faiths," Akhilesh said, adding that programmes on communal harmony will help change the perception of the people who have their own agenda, which is divisive.

The organizer of the event, Maulana Khalid Rasheed Firangi Mahali, Imam of the Eidgah, said, "The aim of the event was to bring religions and religious heads together and bind them with the love of festivities, so that prejudices are thrown aside." He said terrorist attacks in India and outside were a cause of serious concern but issues like infant mortality, malnutrition and proper medical care for all were equally important. "Thousands of people die due to lack of proper medical care or malnutrition and these issues need immediate attention," he said.

Concerned over the situation of the country and the world where Muslims are being maligned, Acharya Krishna Mohan said that people are being made to fight with communal forces rising high. "Allah sent Prophet Mohammad with a good message for not just Muslims, but for the world. Hinduism also teaches to serve humanity. And, in such times, it is important for religious leaders to spread the message of unity in every home," he said.

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