Didi has done nothing for minorities: Akbar

KOLKATA: BJP MP M J Akbar on Monday cited excerpts from a report filed by Amartya Sen's Pratichi Trust to allege that Trinamool Congress hasn't done anything to pull minorities out of poverty.
Almost 80% Muslim popu lation lives on or below poverty line and the condition of minorities has not changed in Bengal, he said. "Trinamool, Left Front and Congress are equal enemies of the minority in Bengal. None of them has raised a question even after a report from Pratichi Trust reflected the condition of minorities," the Rajya Sabha MP said.

Citing from the survey, Akbar said that 80% Muslims in rural Bengal have a household income of less than Rs 5,000 a month. This is very close to the cut-off for the poverty line for a family of five. Even more striking is the fact that more than a third of the Muslim population in rural 2,500 a month.

"When she (Mamata) came to power, she had the support of minorities. But she neglected them," Akbar said at a press meet in the BJP headquarters in Kolkata. "On the other end of the spectrum, you have only 3.8% Muslim households earning above Rs 15,000 a month," he said.

Only two days ago, chief minister Mamata Banerjee had claimed at a rally in Rajabazar that Muslims in Bengal got more opportunities than anywhere else. She said that her government has given scholarships to more than 1.5 crore students and accused central governments -the Congress-led UPA and Modi's administration alike -for not taking any proactive steps to protect the interest of minorities.

"The Pratichi Trust SNAP survey gives an objective answer to any political claims. Almost 55% of the population in the working age group of 15 and 65 years does not have regular jobs. While all of them are not unemployed, some work as labourers," Akbar said. Worse is the condition of Muslim women -not even 10% are employed.

Almost half of the population in rural Bengal is deprived of basic amenities like BPL and MGNREGA cards. This weak economic condition has forced almost 43% of Muslim households to take loans from either money lenders or friends.