CHANDIGARH, May 28: The newly formed National Minority Front comprising Sikh, Christian and Muslim leaders today accused the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress of crushing the interests of the minorities in the country.Declaring the agenda of the Front here, president Satwant Singh Anandpuri said: "Though an apolitical body, the National Minority Front would act as a pressure group within the political circles to get the dues of the minorities as per the Constitution of India." To begin with, the Front has been conceived at Chandigarh level, "but we would soon open branches in all major cities including Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Bangalore," he added. He called the Blue Star operation, Babri Masjid episode and atrocities committed on Christians in Gujrat and Orissa as glaring examples of "ghastly treatment meted out to minorities in a democratic country like India".
Accompanied by the secretary general of the Front V.T.Sebestian, general secretary Noor Mohammad and adviser Father Thomas Anchanickal, Anandpuri said in the ensuing Lok Sabha elections "we would help minority candidates fielded by the Janata Dal, Rashtriya Janata Dal and Samajwadi Party", ions," but those who contest elections on BJP or Congress ticket. He added that the Front would also not support a candidate supported by the Shiromani Akali Dal in Punjab.
The Front leaders, however, came down heavily on the BJP for kicking up a row on "raising the nationality issue of Sonia Gandhi". They opined that "It is a deep-rooted conspiracy to prevent a Christian from holding a prestigious office in the country".
Copyright © 1999 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.