This refers to the report, “Court nixes Bengal dole for imams” (September 3). Thanks to a Public Interest litigation filed by the BJP, the Calcutta High Court has done well to cancel the sops the West Bengal Government had given to thousands of imams and muezzins in the State. This was nothing but a brazen attempt at minority appeasement. Such discriminatory steps are against the secular ethos of our Constitution.
There are other ways for the upliftment of the minorities in the form of promoting self-employment, skill-development and creating awareness about the benefits of having a small family. The Samajwadi Party-led Government in Uttar Pradesh and the TMC Government in West Bengal are trying to outdo each other in minority appeasement, all at the cost of taxpayers' money. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee should refrain from such discriminatory tactics and focus on the overall development of her State, irrespective of caste, colour and creed.