Without naming his political opponent the Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP, he said : “We should be cautious of people who work against India’s secular thought by attempting to redefine secularism,” the Prime Minister said while inaugurating the 9th Annual Conference of State Minorities Commissions here on Monday.

He also pulled up Mulayam Singh and the UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav without naming both. “In most parts of the country the relationship between majority and minority communities is harmonious, although there have been instances where this relationship has been put to severe test, especially of late” the Prime Minister said.

In an obvious reference to the recent riots in Muzaffarnagar in UP, Dr Singh said : “These aberrations tarnish the image of our country and our society. They cause pain and suffering to the affected people. They also disrupt the ability of large sections of our society to contribute to the rapid economic progress of our country. “

The Prime Minister has become careful this time in criticizing his political rivals without naming them from the official podium. In January 3, while addressing a press conference at National Media Centre, he praised Rahul Gandhi for his “outstanding credentials” and said he is fit for being the Prime ministerial candidate” of the Congress party. He used this official podium and said that it would be “disastrous” for the country if Narendra Modi becomes the prime minister. The Prime Minister soon came under a barrage of criticisms from the BJP for using the official podium for speaking out against Modi.

Defending his government from any possible lapses in the implementations of
the Sachar panel report and PM’s 15-point programme, he said : “The success of our initiatives depends to a large extent on the cooperation of States.”

” It is incumbent upon any democratically elected government to redress such imbalances and inequities. Towards this end, we have accepted 72 of the 76 recommendations made by the Sachar Committee and 43 decisions have been taken by the concerned Ministries to implement these 72 recommendations. Of the remaining 4 recommendations, action was taken on one recommendation but the matter is now sub-judice. Many of the concerns raised by the Sachar Committee have also been addressed by the Prime Minister’s New 15 Point Programme,” Dr Singh said.

The Union Ministry of Minority Affairs periodically reviews the progress made
in the implementation of the accepted recommendations of the Sachar Committee. The matter is also reviewed by the Committee of Secretaries on a six monthly basis after which the progress report is placed before the Union Cabinet.