Jaipur, June 04: The Rajasthan State Commission for Minorities today accused the Centre of according step-motherly treatment to Sikhs of the state by not giving them money for various community projects. The Centre had promised a financial assistance of Rs. 50 crore each to Punjab and other states, including for celebration of tri-centenary celebration of Khalsa Panth in 1999, but the entire assistance was paid to Punjab, RSCM member Jasbir Singh told reporters here.
Since then Khalsa Panth in Rajasthan has held a number of programmes for Sikh community in which it spent lakhs of rupees, but the Centre had not made any gesture of assistance despite reminders and personal requests to the Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani and Human Resource Development Minister Murlin Manohar Joshu, he said.
Rajasthan had also planned a Khalsa heritage complex but due to non-availability of funds, the project was hanging in balance, he added.
The NDA government was "insensitive" and adopting dual standards with regard to Sikhs, he said lashing out at the BJP for promoting VHP and Bajrang Dal activists and their Trishul distribution programme, which has been banned in the state.
He also alleged that the NDA government was neglecting Sikhs of the Congress-ruled states.
Bureau Report