Andhra Pradesh State Minorities Finance Corporation Vice-Chairman and Director Mohammed Nasir on Monday alleged that the NDA government was trying to remove the word ‘’secularism’ from the Indian Constitution, which ensured protection to all sections of society.
Article 25 of the Constitution guaranteed freedom of religion but the government was ‘‘directly instigating attacks on minorities such as Muslims and Christians’‘ across the country right from Gujarat to Manipur, he alleged.
The Joint Action Committee of Muslims, Christians, Scheduled Castes and Tribes organised a public meeting here, seeking the support of all sections for the protection of the rights of minorities and secular governance.
‘’The NDA government was extending its support to the RSS, the VHP, the Bajrang Dal and other organisations to instigate the majority people to attack Muslims and Christians,’‘ he said.
Andhra Pradesh High Court advocate Dommeti Sridhar said that unity among the minorities and downtrodden sections was the need of the hour to draw the attention of the nation to the atrocities taking place in several parts of the country.
Representatives of Christian welfare associations P. Premanandam and S. Madhu said that the government had failed to control violence in Manipur that started six months ago.
AP Film Chamber representative and film director M.S.S. Bhasha said that the government was applying divide and rule policy.
Andhra Pradesh Dalit Ikya Vedika State president Adada Mohana Rao alleged that there was no security for SCs and STs in the country with the policies adopted by the Union government.
YSRCP Muslim wing Vizianagaram president Shaik Abdul Hameed, Dalitha Hakkula Porata Samithi president Goka Ramesh and others were present in the meeting.