JEDDAH — “India has always cared for its citizens; the NRIs living in Saudi Arabia do not have to worry, if and when they have to return, for, in a natural process, they will be absorbed like other citizens because they are also part of one of the biggest economy of the world. Unskilled workers returning from the Kingdom, if have land in rural areas, can benefit from the UP government's schemes as Akhilesh government is helping farmers,” said Fareed Mahfooz Kidwai, Minister of State for Planning in the UP government. Fareed Kidwai was addressing a dinner by Aziz Kidwai and Indian community's representative organizations at Mehfil Restaurant, Aziziyah on Saturday night. Fareed Kidwai a five-time member of UP legislative assembly and now a senior minister in the Samajwadi Party's government, hails from famous Kidwai family from Barabanki. He, in his brief but informative speech, revealed many truths. He said the start of Beni Prasad Verma's tantrums as a senior leader of Mulayam Singh's SP compelled him to tell Mulayam that it was indicative of Beni leaving the SP. His prediction came true. He also revealed that he left Bahujan Samaj Party because of Mayawati's insulting behavior with legislators. Her behavior led him to take many important political decisions. “SP chief Mulayam Singh and UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav are very secular leaders but the BJP had created polarization in the state. It was Akhilesh government that ordered Tariq Qasimi and Khalid Mujahid, who were booked on false terrorism charges, to be freed but when the judge seeing the case refused it and Hindu advocates distributed sweets. This is a very ugly thing,” he said. “The majority of the Indian citizens is not only secular but also has brotherly relations. They share the joys and sorrows together like family members. A damage to this secular social mosaic will damage India,” Fareed Kidwai said. “The riots in UP after Samajwadi Party's election victory were a part of divisive policy of communal forces. Akhilesh government has now checked these forces,” he added. He appealed Indians to support Mulayam Singh in winning at least 70 seats out of 83 Parliament seats in the state in the next parliamentary election so that Mulayam can be in the position of becoming Prime Minister of the world's biggest secular democracy. Indian Consul General Faiz Ahmad Kidwai, the chief guest, said that India treats its citizens equally, and there is no special plan for returning expatriates. But since they are returning to their native country they have their share in the riches that India earns like a big and fast-developing economy. Kidwai suggested the NRI'S living in the Kingdom to take advantage of the grace period and correct their status in the Iqama (residence permit). He said Air India is planning over a connecting flight to Lucknow from Jeddah. This revelation made the audience happy. At the start of the event, Syed Farzan Rizvi recited the verses of the Holy Qur'an and Danish Ghafoor conducted the function.
