2 August 2024: Samajwadi Party MP Javed Ali Khan raised concerns in the Rajya Sabha about the deliberate exclusion of minorities from a welfare scheme in Uttar Pradesh, reported the Hindu.The programme, intended to provide grants for the weddings of economically weaker OBC families’ daughters, explicitly excludes minorities, according to Khan.
During the Zero Hour, Khan cited a letter from the Sambhal district administration, which clearly stated the programme was for “OBC (excluding minorities).” He argued that such actions violate the principles of a welfare and secular state as enshrined in the Indian Constitution.
Khan highlighted his efforts to address the issue with both the U.P. Government’s Social Welfare Minister and the central government, but no resolution has been found. He recalled the “Hamari Beti, Uska Kal” scheme initiated by the SP Government under Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, which provided a ₹30,000 grant for the marriage of girls from minority communities. This scheme was scrapped after the BJP, led by Yogi Adityanath, came to power in 2017, while a parallel scheme for OBCs remained.
Khan criticized the current government’s policies as anti-constitutional and discriminatory, accusing the U.P. Government of systematically excluding Muslims and other minorities from welfare programmes, which he views as part of a broader agenda to marginalize these communities.
