New Delhi, Dec 11 (IANS) Former JNU students' union leader and activist Shehla Rashid on Wednesday blamed the 'decades of misrule' under the Congress regime for the laggardness of Muslims and also hit out at the grand old party and its allies for floating and propagating the 'no secular government, no development in the country' idea.

Shehla Rashid, in a special interaction with , stated that the Muslim community has only suffered and, over the years, got relegated to the margins despite a host of secular parties bragging about fighting for their rights.

“Today, there are few parties in the country, who believe that there will be no development in the country if they don't come to power,” she said.

“The Sachar Committee report has clearly shown that Muslims have consistently lagged behind and rank below the SC/STs in the country in terms of development. The so-called secular parties have failed to bring them into the mainstream,” she said.

She said that these so-called secular parties project themselves as ‘champions’ of minorities, but in reality, they are the ones who abandoned the community for their political gains.

The Jammu and Kashmir-based activist also showered praise on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's inclusive growth model and said that under this government, the Muslim community was getting benefits of welfare schemes without any discrimination.

Reiterating PM Modi's call for bringing reforms, she said that it's time that the community stands up its rights and takes steps for its future.

"It's not about waiting for a government to give us something, it's about self-empowerment. We need to educate ourselves, train our youth, and prepare them for the future," she said.

"We have to give our children the right exposure and skills to succeed in this rapidly changing world. The rise of Artificial Intelligence, the global economy — there are many areas, which we can explore," she said.

She further said that PM Modi has given a clear message that the community should stop waiting for someone to topple this government or someone to give handouts.

“Self-belief and taking responsibility for own progress,” mantra will take us to new heights, she said.

Courtesy Media Group: IANS

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