Cong To Reach Out To Minorities With Special Schemes

There was anger, concern and complaints during the meeting with many of them cautioning leaders that corrective measures are required as trends suggest that Muslim votes were somewhat slipping from the party.

During the meeting, Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi stressed on the need to instill a sense of security and fearlessness among all sections of society.

"Muslims are distancing from us. The results in recent assembly elections also show that. We need to do something seriously," said a participant from the UP.

As Minority Affairs Minister K Rahman Khan listed measures like access to credit, skill development programmes and scholarship for minorities as major works for the uplift of the community, there were voices from the participants that taking loan is still a herculean task for minorities.

Explaining the difficulties, a participant said, "Rahulji even you cannot take loan, the documentation is so difficult."

In the manifesto meeting, the participants were given booklets carrying programmes, schemes and achievements of Minority Affairs during the 11th plan (2007-2012) and during the in-progress 12th plan (2012-2017).

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