New Delhi, Jan 30 (PTI) Asserting the Congress is committed to protecting the rights of minorities in the country, party MP Imran Masood on Thursday alleged that both AAP and BJP have "ignored and suppressed the interest of minorities for the past 10 years".

Addressing a press conference here, Masood emphasised the inclusive nature of the Congress and said "our party is everyone's party".

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"Congress is for every citizen living in the country, as Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi keeps saying," he added.

Referring to the Congress manifesto for the upcoming Delhi Assembly polls, Masood said, "We are committed for protecting the rights of minorities living in our country. We have mentioned in the manifesto that we will strengthen the Delhi SC/ST/OBC/minority and Handicapped Development Finance Corporation so that these communities can get the lowest rate loans to start businesses."

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The party has also mentioned that it will fill vacancies of the school teachers of Urdu, Punjabi and Bhojpuri on a priority basis, he added.

Masood also claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government at the Centre and the AAP regime in Delhi have reduced budget allocation for minorities and scholarships for children from the minority community.

"We will focus on 15 key points contained in the UPA's Sachar Committee report. We will remove all impediments to Madrasa development and modernisation. We will convene the Delhi Waqf Board and ensure timely payments to Imams. We will revive and restore the prominence given to the Punjabi Academy," said Masood.

"We will finance the establishment of a Punjabi chair at the Jawaharlal Nehru University. We will establish a university in the name of Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur which will also house a museum and a digital library. We will establish a Jain Welfare Board, as we have done in Rajasthan," he added.

Masood, the Congress MP from Uttar Pradesh's Saharanpur, further said the minorities in Bangladesh have also faced atrocity.

The Congress leader claimed that he raised the issue in Parliament and also held a press conference that the Indian government should call the ambassador of the neighbouring country and issue a note.

The Election Commission is yet to respond to the Congress complaint regarding a film on the Delhi riots that is scheduled to be released on February 2, he added.

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