Minorities safer in India than anywhere else: Union MoS for Home Nityanand Rai
Patna, Dec 26: Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai on Monday asserted that "all minority groups" were secure in the country, "more than anywhere else in the world", though parties opposed to the BJP suggested otherwise because of "appeasement politics".
Rai made the averment at a press conference he addressed at the Bihar BJP headquarters here, in response to a query about a recent remark by RJD national general secretary Abdul Bari Siddiqui that he wanted his children to settle abroad because of the "atmosphere in the country".
"All minority groups, including the one which Siddiqui is hinting at, are safe in the country. They are safer than anywhere else in the world. I say this with all the responsibility at my command as the Union MoS for Home", said Rai, who formerly headed the BJP's Bihar unit.
Rai was of the opinion that parties like RJD, and its ally Congress, spoke of threats to minorities "to get sympathy of certain sections of the society for electoral gains".
"This is called the politics of appeasement. It is this politics of appeasement that had caused Partition of the country", alleged the Union minister who, when asked whether he thought Mahatma Gandhi too was guilty of politics of appeasement, replied "not Gandhi ji, but those who went on to rule Pakistan and the truncated India were pursuing such politics in their respective pursuit of power".
He also accused Congress leader Rahul Gandhi of undermining the armed forces during speeches delivered as part of the "Bharat Jodo Yatra" and claimed "hostile neighbours like China and Pakistan have realized that this is not the India of 1960s. With Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the helm, no power would dare to go to war with us. Even if a war takes place, the outcome is going to be in India's favour".
Training his guns at Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who was a BJP ally until snapping of ties in August, Rai said "we learn that he is going take out another yatra. These gimmicks confirm that his governance track record has been miserable".
When pointed out that his party has for long been an ally of Kumar, the JD(U)'s de facto leader, on whom it used to shower encomiums for bringing about development in Bihar, the BJP leader said "all sectors in which there has been any improvement, happened to be portfolios held by our party".
The Union minister also frowned upon Kumar's "piyoge to maroge" quip in the aftermath of the Saran hooch tragedy and criticized the latter for making a fuss over NHRC taking cognizance of the matter.
Rai also alleged that Kumar has been soft on "anti-national activities going on in Bihar" and cited the example of Kashmir having been mentioned as a separate country in a school examination question paper to buttress his point.
Taking a dig at the JD(U) leader for repeatedly saying the BJP had deviated from the inclusiveness exemplified by former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Rai said "he should read a few poems of Atal ji. He will learn what the leader stood for".
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SRH knocked out of play-off race after washout against DC
Hyderabad, May 5 (PTI): Sunrisers Hyderabad were eliminated from the play-offs race after their Indian Premier League fixture against Delhi Capitals was called off due to heavy rain following the first innings here on Monday.
Pat Cummins-led SRH pace attack ran through the DC batting line-up to limit the visitors to 133/7 before rain dashed the slim hopes of the home team. Both teams shared a point each for the abandoned game.
With 13 points from 11 games, DC remain in contention for a top-four spot.
After reaching the final last year, it was a season to forget for SRH who could not replicate their ballistic run of 2024 with the bat. Having collected only seven points from 11 matches, SRH will now be playing for pride.
Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals were already eliminated from the competition.
Before rain lashed the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium, the hosts put up a clinical effort with the ball and were on course for only their fourth win of the season until rain arrived, creating large puddles of water on the outfield. The match officials decided to call off the game at 11.10 pm local time.
The shot selection of Delhi Capitals' batters contributed to their downfall after being put in to bat.
They were left reeling at 29 for five in 7.1 overs with captain Cummins causing the maximum damage.
Cummins had Karun Nair caught behind on the very first ball of the match with a good length ball around the off-stump. It was a rather loose shot from the DC batter first up.
Faf du Plessis departed in Cummins' following over, a failed attempt to put the relentless Australian away for a boundary. Not getting any loose ball from Cummins, the South Africa went for a pull on the charge only to be caught by the wicket-keeper.
Cummins' third victim was Abhishek Porel who was caught after mistiming a flick.
Harshal Patel and Jaydev Unadkat then got into the act by dismissing Axar Patel and K L Rahul respectively. The in-form Rahul went for a drive on the up but ended up edging it to Ishan Kishan behind the stumps.
It was one way traffic until Tristian Stubbs (41 not out off 36) and impact player Ashutosh Sharma (41 off 26) combined to take DC to a respectable total. They shared a 66-run stand off 45 balls.
Sharma was able to break the shackles by depositing leg-spinner Zeeshan Ansari for a couple of sixes over long-on in the 15th over.
Stubbs did not look as comfortable as Sharma in the middle but managed to provide much needed support to the latter. The South African could find only four boundaries with the last one coming off the final ball of the innings.
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— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 5, 2025
Match 55 between @SunRisers and @DelhiCapitals has been called off due to wet outfield.
Both teams share a point each.
Scorecard ▶ https://t.co/1MkIwk4VNE
#TATAIPL | #SRHvDC pic.twitter.com/VnVZWjsjGJ
