NEW DELHI: Congress Party president Sonia Gandhi yesterday assured India’s Muslims that their interests were foremost on the government’s mind and pointed to a series of measures it had taken in the last one year to address their grievances.

“We have always kept your interests in mind and will always continue to do so,” Gandhi asserted while addressing the 28th All India general session of the Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind (JUH).

Gandhi also used the platform to describe the previous National Democratic Alliance government as “communal”.

“In the last few years, the communal (federal) government tried to destroy the values and principles we stood for,” Gandhi, dressed in a green-bordered white sari said in her speech in Hindi, which had a sprinkling of Urdu words. 

In this context, she referred to the “distortion” of history textbooks at the school and college levels and the “misrepresentation” of India’s independence struggle.

“As you are aware, we left no stone unturned to oppose these actions. You and other people in the country supported us and our alliance partners and the result was a UPA (United Progressive Alliance) government,” Gandhi added.

She said the Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA), which the community had viewed as anti-Muslim had been withdrawn and those arrested under its provisions had been released.

“All those against whom false cases were registered under POTA have been released,” Gandhi said.

She said the UPA government had taken a slew of measures for the betterment of India’s linguistic and religious minorities.

Among these were the establishment of a National Commission for Minority Educational Institutions and the constitution of a high-power committee to make recommendations on the Muslims’ social, economic and educational status.

The budget and share capital of the National Minorities Development Finance Corporation had been enhanced, Gandhi said. More money had been provided to promote the Urdu language and appoint Urdu teachers in schools. 

The JUH session, which was organised at the Ramlila ground here, was attended by thousands of people including Jamiat chief Maulana Assad Madani and Congress leader Mohsina Kidwai.

The delegates, who came from all over the country discussed issues such as reservations for Muslims and  protection of women’s rights.-Indo-Asian News Service