Government will maintain communal peace: PM

NEW DELHI - Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Sunday said his government would always maintain communal peace and harmony and protect the minorities.

“Our government is committed to maintain communal peace and harmony. We also consider it our duty to protect the minorities and provide for their special needs,” Singh said while addressing the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort.

“This is why we have started many new programmes in the last four years for the welfare of our brothers and sisters belonging to the minority communities,” he added.

He said scholarships for minority students and special programmes for the development of districts which have a high concentration of minorities had shown good results.

“We will vigorously take this work forward,” he added.

The prime minister said secularism was one of the pillars of India’s democracy.

“It has been the tradition of our country and society to treat all religions with equal respect. For centuries India has welcomed new religions and all have flourished here. Secularism is also our constitutional obligation,” he added.