Substantial decline in riots and communal incidents: Naqvi

New Delhi: There has been 82 percent decline in riots and communal incidents in last two years, Minister of State for Minority Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said on Tuesday.

"We are committed to peace and harmony in the country," he noted, while crediting the Narendra Modi government's for creating a strong atmosphere of development and trust among minority communities. 

Naqvi told reporters said the BJP-led government has kept aside political hypocrisy, which had been going in the name of secularism and implemented several schemes for overall empowerment of minorities. 

"Percentage of minorities in government jobs was 6.91 percent in 2013-14 and it has reached 8.70 in 2014-15," he said adding it will see further increase in 2015-16 due to an atmosphere of "trust and development without any discrimination". 

In the last two years, contribution of minority candidates in administrative services and other government services have been breaking record of last three decades, he said. 

"A large number of candidates from minority communities have been selected in civil services this year which include eight candidates from Jammu and Kashmir."

He said the budgetary allocation of his ministry has been increased to Rs.38,000 crore this year and several other ministries have also worked a lot for minority dominated areas under Prime Minister’s new 15-Point Programme. 

The minister said under Sarva Shiksha Abhiyaan, 7,667 primary schools and additional class rooms have been constructed in minority-concentrated areas in 2015 while about Rs.19,000 crore have been released for various states under multi-sectoral development programme to address the deficits in basic amenities in such areas.