India’s Muslim minority has been outraging for days now, often times violently on the streets, at the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) passed by the Parliament which intends to fast-track citizenship for religiously persecuted minorities in neighbouring Islamic states of Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. They have been joined in their protests by the elite sections of Hindu society as well.

The fundamental opposition to the CAA stems from misplaced paranoia and misinformation, but even if we disregard this chief reason which is motivating an overwhelming majority to pour on to the streets, we are left with a principled stand that some have taken.

They argue that the government shouldn’t give fast track citizenship on the basis of religion. When it comes to CAA, they want that the group which is persecuting be treated at par with the groups being persecuted.

But when it comes to India, these same worthies champion having special rights and protection to religious minorities even when there is no persecution. Unequals can’t be treated as equals, they reason.

Same logic is thrown out of the window when it comes to giving some relief to religious minorities in Islamic states.

To sum up, equality and secularism are desirable when dealing with non-Indians, but these concepts are happily violated while treating Indian citizens.

In the recently concluded Parliament session, the Minister of Minority Affairs revealed that the Modi government has spent Rs 22,000 crore in the past six years on Minority welfare and has awarded scholarships to around 3.2 crore students belonging to minority communities, namely Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Parsis, Buddhists and Jains.

Since the funds allocated by the Ministry are in proportion of the population of the six groups, Muslims are the biggest beneficiaries by virtue of being the biggest majority among these minorities.

It’s ironic how majoritarianism is playing out in the ministry meant for minorities.

Here is a list of 26 sectarian schemes run by the Ministry of Minority Affairs with detailed expenditures in the last six years: