Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Jawahar Sircar drew sharp reactions from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for calling Smriti Irani a “hardcore Hindu” following her appointment as the Union Minister of Minority Affairs.
Taking to his official Twitter handle, Sircar had reacted to Irani’s appointment saying, “Smriti Irani assigned charge of Ministry of Minority Affairs after Naqvi resigns. Hardcore Hindu, married to a Parsi given charge of Muslims, Christians. Is this BJP’s brand of secularism?”
Hitting out at him, Union Minister Kiren Rijiju asked him to “free” his mind from the “pseudo secularism” and “appeasement politics”.
“Muslims & Christians ? I hope one can free mind from the shackles of pseudo secularism & appeasement politics. Muslims, Sikhs, Christians, Buddhists, Jain & Parsis have been notified as minority communities under Section 2 (c) of National Commission for Minorities Act, 1992,” tweeted Rijiju.
On July 7, Union minister Smriti Irani took charge of the Ministry of Minority Affairs, a day after Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi resigned from the Cabinet.
Naqvi, who held the portfolio of Minority Affairs, extended his wishes to Irani on taking the additional charge of the ministry.
Irani was assigned the charge of the Ministry of Minority Affairs, in addition to her existing portfolio of Minister for Women and Child Development.
She had thanked Modi and said that she will fulfil the given responsibility with full devotion and will continue with her resolve to serve the country through the welfare of minorities.
