‘Hindus cannot be a minority anywhere in India’, Says BJP

New Delhi: Over a week after Jammu and Kashmir government filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court opposing the grant of minority status to Hindus in the state, BJP general secretary Ashok Koul too said that Hindus cannot be a minority anywhere in India.
“How they can be a minority anywhere when in general they constitute a majority in the country,’’ said Koul. “In my personal view, Hindus shall not feel themselves a minority anywhere in India and that they shall also not treat themselves to be a minority even in Jammu and Kashmir,’’ he said. “I am a citizen of India and I consider myself to be part of the community constituting a majority in the country,’’ he added.
Elaborating, he said, “if male members are in minority at one village and females at some other village, does it mean that any of them is a minority. Similarly, how can Hindus be a minority in India when they constitute its majority population.” “In my opinion, Hindus in Jammu and Kashmir too shall not talk about them being a minority in view of their being a majority community in India,’’ he added.
Though Koul emphasised that it is his personal view, it is likely to create a controversy over the issue as he, despite being a senior BJP leader also happens to be a member of the Kashmiri Pandit community, a majority of whom had migrated from Muslim majority Kashmir Valley in the wake of militant violence during 1990s.
Despite special PM packages from time to time, including the announcement of jobs for them, the Kashmiri Pandit migrants are not prepared to return to their native places until the creation of exclusive township or homeland for them.
The state government, however, is opposed to the creation of exclusive townships or homeland for Pandits as it will affect the composite culture of the state. After entering into a post-poll alliance with PDP, BJP is the main partner in the coalition government headed by Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti in the state after it won 25 seats in constituencies predominantly inhabited by Hindus in Jammu region during 2014 assembly polls.
It is also likely to provide an issue to opposition Congress and National Conference who are already accusing it of having compromised its pro-Jammu and pro-Hindu ideology for the sake of power.