State govt to go ahead with Sanganer minorities’ hostel

JAIPUR: A day after a protest staged by BJP leaders against plans to build a hostel for minority students at Pratap Nagar, the state government on Friday made it clear that there would be no change in its plans and that the hostel would be built.
Minority affairs minister Saleh Mohammed told TOI that the government has no plan to stop the construction of the hostel for minority students in the state.“Minority does not mean one particular religion. The hostel would admit students belonging to Muslim, Jain, Christians, Sikhs, Parsis and other minority communities. The government has also decided to give admission to SC/ST and OBC students if there are seats vacant in this hostel,” said Mohammed.
When told about the protest led by BJP’s Sanganer MLA Ashok Lahoty, the minister said, “BJP is playing petty politics. Their protest is contrary to their slogan of ‘Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas’.”
Marketplaces at Pratap Nagar and Sanganer remained closed on Thursday as locals joined the protest by Lahoty and other BJP leaders against the proposed hostel for minority students. Assembled under the banner of Sanganer Bachao Sangharsh Samiti, a few Hindu organisations and BJP leaders closed the marketplaces and took out a foot march against the state government. “Around 99% of the people of Sanganer are against the hostel. Despite this, the Congress government is building hostels here to please a particular community. We will not allow construction of this hostel at any cost. Earlier, the government allotted a Haj House at Sanganer, but it had to be cancelled after protests. Similarly, allotment of the boys’ hostel will have to be cancelled,” said Lahoty.
UDH department officials said the present hostel case is different from that of the Haj House. First, the hostel is not meant for any particular religion, and secondly, the government has only allotted the land and appointed Rajasthan Housing Board (RHB) to construct the building, they said.
“The project is funded by the minority board. An MoU has already been signed between the government and the board,” said a UDH official.