Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC – iamc.com) a non-profit advocacy group dedicated to safeguarding India’s pluralist and tolerant ethos, today expressed dismay over the shocking indifference of Members of Parliament from UP, as demonstrated by a report it released yesterday. The report, titled “Uttar Pradesh Members of Parliament Performance Report,” shows Lok Sabha MPs, 71 of them from the BJP are responsible for over 333 crores of development funds lying unspent, only due to their inaction and indifference.

The study, conducted by US-based news portal TwoCircles.net and commissioned by IAMC, finds that 71 crores of the unspent funds were in 17 Dalit-majority constituencies and over 64 crores unspent in 16 other constituencies where Muslims are over 20% of the population. The MPs in both cases are from the BJP. Every MP is given Rs 5 crore per annum for development works in their respective constituencies.

BJP’s claim of inclusive development, as articulated in their slogan of “sabka saath sabka vikaas,” rings hollow in the face of such indifference and inaction. It is also an indication of what UP can expect, given BJP’s penchant for granting election tickets to criminals.

“Elected officials have a duty to serve their constituents through every possible mechanism made available to them by the system,” said Mr. Jawad Khan, President of IAMC. “Funds allocated for development lying unspent due to MP inaction is highly deplorable,” added Mr. Khan.

In the face of upcoming elections in UP, the BJP’s strategy of unleashing fierce Hindutva through shutting down of slaughterhouses and threatening to use vigilantes, is cynical and dangerous. It also points to the party’s desperate efforts to deflect attention from the demonetisation disaster.

Indian–American Muslim Council is the largest advocacy organization of Indian Muslims in the United States with chapters across the nation. For more information, please visit our website at: http://iamc.com