BJP government halves Muslim welfare funding in India’s West Bengal
First budget after BJP victory in eastern Indian state slashes minority affairs allocation by more than $370 million amid series of measures targeting Muslims
NEW DELHI, India (MNTV) — India’s Hindu supremacist government in West Bengal has slashed funding for programs serving Muslims and other religious minorities by more than half in its first full state budget, a move expected to significantly reduce spending on minority welfare and madrasa education in one of the country’s largest Muslim-populated states.
The budget for the Minority Affairs and Madrasa Education Department has been reduced from 57.13 billion Indian rupees ($603 million) under the previous administration to 21.65 billion Indian rupees ($228 million), eliminating roughly 35.48 billion Indian rupees ($374 million) in funding for scholarships, educational initiatives and welfare programs.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which ended 15 years of Trinamool Congress rule after winning power in May, presented the cut as part of its first comprehensive budget. The decision marks one of the most significant reductions in minority-focused spending in the state’s recent history.
The budget cut comes amid a series of actions by the new government that Muslim groups and opposition parties describe as part of a broader Hindu nationalist agenda.
Since taking office, authorities have imposed restrictions on animal slaughter during Eid al-Adha, carried out demolition drives targeting Muslim homes and businesses, and initiated efforts to rename roads and public places associated with historical Muslim figures.
West Bengal is home to one of India’s largest Muslim populations, with Muslims accounting for more than a quarter of the state’s residents. Previous governments maintained a dedicated department for minority affairs aimed at addressing educational and economic disparities through scholarships, infrastructure projects and community welfare schemes.
The latest budget reduction is expected to affect many of those programs, although the government has not specified which initiatives will be scaled back or discontinued.
The move is likely to deepen concerns among Muslim organizations, which have accused the BJP of using state institutions and public policy to marginalize minority communities.
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