Raipur, Apr 17 (PTI): The Narendra Modi government has carried out more developmental works in its four years than opposition parties during their 48-year rule, Union minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi claimed on Tuesday. He exuded confidence that the NDA would win an “absolute” majority in the 2019 general elections on the back of the works it carried out.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s commitment to inclusive growth had ensured welfare of the poor, the youth, farmers, minorities and women, a BJP statement quoted the minority affairs minister as saying. The minister claimed that “there is an atmosphere of trust” and development among all sections of society including minorities due to the government’s policy of “empowerment without appeasement”. He made the comments while inaugurating a number of projects under the Centre’s multi-sectoral development programme (MsDP) here.
“Developmental works carried out by the Modi government in the last 48 months for socio-economic-educational empowerment of the needy, including minorities, did not take place even in the 48-year rule of the Congress and its allies,” the statement read.
The NDA would win an “absolute majority in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections on the basis of the works done for development, democracy and dignity and will again form the government”, Naqvi added. The minister hailed the Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh, saying “it is working with complete sincerity” to uplift each section of society.
Uttar Pradesh would soon become “one of the most developed” states of the country, he said. Naqvi said that the “champions of secularism exploited minorities” for their interests for around five decades.
To drive his point home, the minister also compared the performances of the NDA government and those led by the Congress. He said 3.03 crore students were given scholarships during 48 years of the opposition rule till 2004. Whereas, the present central government had awarded scholarships to 2.66 crore minority students so far. Only 20,164 youths got skill development and employment opportunities till 2014. The NDA government gave job-oriented training, employment and employment opportunities to 5.44 lakh youths in the last 48 months, Naqvi said.
In the last 12 months, 1.18 lakh artisans have been given employment and employment opportunities under the ministry’s ‘Hunar Haat’ initiative, he added. “Only 97,000 women were given leadership training under the ‘Nai Raushni’ scheme till 2014. We have given such training to 2.95 lakh minority women and scholarships to 1.21 crore girl students in just 48 months,” he claimed.
The NDA government has surpassed the Congress-led dispensations in terms of creating infrastructure under the MsDP, proffering term loans and bringing in Haj reforms, he said.