Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Friday announced the creation of a new district of Malerkotla, carving the state’s only Muslim-majority town from Sangrur district.

“Happy to share that on the auspicious occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr, my government has announced Malerkotla as the newest district in the state. The 23rd district holds huge historical significance. Have ordered to immediately locate a suitable site for the district administrative complex,” he said in a tweet.

“Our government would make Malerkotla a separate district on coming to power and Muslims of Punjab would be given the same benefits as being provided to Dalits,“ said Amarinder.

To make the district he will adjoin Amargarh and Ahmedgarh, according to the announcement at a state-level event on Eid-ul-Fitr.

Although his decision to announce a Muslim majority district on the day of Muslim festival raised the eyebrows of many and it given a topic of discussions on increasing appeasement politics.

The chief minister also announced a Rs 500-crore medical college, a women’s college, a new bus stand and a women police station in Malerkotla.

“I know this has been a long-pending demand,” he said through video conference.

While underlining India’s secular character, he attacked on BJP and AAP. He said was manifested in the defeat of “communal forces” in the recent assembly elections in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal.

Arshad Dali of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and his elder sister Razia Sultana of Congress are involved in a tight fight in Malerkotla.

“Punjab would return to terrorism days if AAP is voted to power here”, he told the crowd. Captain insisted that his government would reopen the probe into all sacrilege cases in Malerkotla which has seen clashes in July last year.

According to the 2011 census, while Muslims constituted 68.5% of Malerkotla city, Hindus and Sikhs formed 20 and 9.5 per cent respectively.

Image Source: Getty Images