Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday reacts to a question on “violence against Muslims” in India and “negative Western perceptions” of India.
The finance minister remarked: “India has the second largest Muslim population in the world, and that population is only growing in numbers.”
She was speaking at the Peterson Institute for International Economics (PIIE), Washington, DC, where she was discussing the resiliency and expansion of the Indian economy,
“If there is a perception or in reality, their lives are difficult or made difficult with the support of the state which is what is implied in most of these write-ups, I would ask if this happens in India, will the Muslim population be growing more than what it was in 1947 as opposed to Pakistan which was formed at the same time? Every minority has been dwindling in its number or decimated in Pakistan. Even some of the Muslim sects also have been decimated there. Whereas, in India, you would find every strand of Muslims doing their business, their children being educated, given fellowships,” she responded.
“Violence prevails against Muhajirs, Shia and every other group you can name which is not accepted by the mainstream. I don’t know, Sunnis probably. Whereas in India you would find every strand of Muslims doing their business, their children getting educated. Fellowships are being given by the government,” she added.
Addressing the alleged persecution of Muslims in India, she said: “So across the board in India, if violence is happening to make Muslims get affected, itself is a fallacy as a statement. To say it’s all the blame of the Government of India, I would want to say then, tell me, between 2014 and today, has the population dwindled? Have the deaths been disproportionately high in any one particular community? So, I would rather invite these people, who write these reports to come to India. I host them. Let them come to India and prove their point.”
“India was divided into two Pakistans. Pakistan declared itself an Islamic country but said minorities will be protected. Every minority has been dwindling in number, or decimated in Pakistan. Even some of the Muslim sects have also been decimated,” she clarified.
She claimed that in India, maintaining peace and order is the responsibility of the states and that each province has an elected administration in charge of doing so.
She asserted that it is false to assume that violence against Muslims is occurring on a widespread basis in India. “It cannot be so. Each province and its police are different. They are run by the elected governments in those provinces. So, that itself tells you how these reports have no clue of the law and order systems in India,” the finance minister said.
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