Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said that spirit of social harmony, equal respect to all religions and unity was ingrained in the soil of India. Indian culture perceives a person as a human being and not as a member of any particular religion, caste, creed, etc.
Addressing at the National Integration Council (NIC) meeting here on Monday, he said MP Government was a Government of all sections of society. “My Government does not adopt policy of appeasement, but welfare schemes in the State have been implemented in such a way that every section of society was getting their benefit and its resourses have been harnessed in the interest of the State,” he said.
Chouhan further said it was in the interest of social harmony that appeasement policy was abolished and political parties sought people’s mandate by rising above considerations of religion, caste and class. This would ensure development of every section, he said.
The Chief Minister said not a single person had died in communal riots in Madhya Pradesh. For this, he urged an amendment in the figures provided by the Union Home Ministry. He said Buddhist University had been set up at Sanchi to propagate Buddhism and compilation of religious scriptures. Haj House had been constructed for Muslim brethren at Bhopal. Pundits recited Vedic hymns under Mukhyamantri Kanyadan Yojana and Maulvis solemnised Nikahs under Mukhyamantri Nikah Yojana. Festivals of all religious were celebrated at Chief Minister’s residence, he said.
He said that under Mukhyamantri Tirth-Darshan Yojana, senior citizens had been given the option to visit pilgrimages of their choice, including Rameshwaram, Ajmer Khwaja Sahib’s durgah and Velankanni Church. Chouhan said in our Government’s view religion was a thread which joined development with the intrinsic natural streak of society. He said his Government did not pit one community or caste against another in the name of social engineering. The State Government had decided to allot free land to Urdu University and sought Central Government’s permission for construction of Sita Mata Mandir in Sri lanka, he said.
Chouhan said a situation of social revolt would prevail if acts and deeds of Government were not the same. He said the State Government had formulated a law against terrorism and organised crimes and sent the same to the Union Government for approval. But it was pending for the last 5 years while such law existed in Maharashtra, he said.