Modi govt's 'Progress Panchayats' for minorities: 10 points

New Delhi: PM Narendra Modi is making yet another effort to reach out to the Muslims by holding progress panchayats for minority communities starting Thursday in Mewat, Haryana. Here are 10 points about the ‘progress panchayats’

• The minority affairs ministry's exercise is aimed at trying to build the confidence of the Muslims and other sections in society. It is a measure to shed the “anti-minority” image, the government is accused of.
• The panchayats would analyse the level of progress reached by the communities.
• Prime Minister is drawing attention to the community’s problems. His aim is to ensure the Dalits and minorities should not be lumped into a political monolith, said a BJP leader.
• The move is also seen to convince the minorities by pointing out that no major communal riots had taken place since the Modi government came to power.
• Second panchayat to be held on October 6 in Alwar and will further move onto several other places.
• Minorities Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi to take part in the event.
• “The panchayat will discuss about development of minorities. Inauguration of educational institutions will take place. We will inform about our plans for skill development,” said Naqvi
• Congress’ Meem Afzal has questioned the timing of the panchayat. “Why all of a sudden Modi government has remembered minorities. Nothing has been done for them for so long.”
• Contending that the definition of secularism has been distorted, Modi on Sunday invoked Jan Sangh ideologue Deendayal Upadhyay to say that Muslims should be treated as "your own" rather than seeing them as "items of vote market".
• The progress panchayat is launched to dispel myths of NDA ahead of crucial elections in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Gujarat next year.