NEWSLINKS US EDITION SOUTH ASIA COLUMNISTS DIARY SPECIALS INTERVIEWS CAPITAL BUZZ REDIFF POLL DEAR REDIFF THE STATES ELECTIONS ARCHIVES SEARCH REDIFF
Minister for Civil Aviation Syed Shahnawaz Hussain, on a tour to Britain, said on Wednesday that Muslims are safer in India than in Pakistan and terrorism in Kashmir, aided by Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence, was only giving Muslims a bad name.
"The government is fully committed to ensure equal treatment to all and there is no discrimination against Muslims," Hussain said.
Stating that Kashmir problem was not an Islamic problem, the minister said, "Pakistan-harboured terrorists, aided and abetted by ISI were giving Indian Muslims a bad name."
He said the Centre had earmarked Rs 15 billion for rehabilitation of victims of recent violence in Gujarat.
"Both the Centre and the Gujarat government are trying to assuage the feelings of the affected people there," he said.
"Nowhere else Muslims have got so much opportunity and freedom to practice their religion as in India which has world's second largest Muslim population, next only to Indonesia," he added.
On Dr A P J Abdul Kalam candidature for the post of President, Hussain said it was an appropriate choice, not because he is a Muslim, but because of his own contribution to the nation, which earned him the nation's highest civilian award, the Bharat Ratna.
Tell us what you think of this report
