Special package essential to improve minorities' conditions: Sharad

Saharsa (Bihar), Dec 24 (UNI) JD(U) national president Sharad Yadav today expressed concern over the condition of minorities in the country and demanded a special package from the Centre for overall upliftment of the community.

''The condition of Muslim minorities is deplorable in all walks of life and the community has been struggling for its upliftment since Independence,'' Mr Yadav told UNI here.

He blamed the Centre for ignoring the development of the Muslims and alleged that the Congress always used the community as its vote bank.

''The community has been lagging far behind in the field of education and employment and the overall health of the women folk is also deplorable,'' he said.

Mr Yadav demanded the UPA government to evolve a special package for overall development of the Muslims and maintained that the community urgently needed special attention.

''Without upliftment of the community, development of the nation as a whole would be a distant dream,'' he added.

He lauded the efforts of the NDA government in Bihar, saying that the state government had launched ten-point programme for proper development of the section since it came to power and following the efforts of the Nitish Kumar government, the minorities had exuded confidence in the government.

UNI