LUCKNOW, Jan. 14 -- Union parliamentary affairs minister Kiren Rijiju on Tuesday listed out welfare projects of the central government for the weaker sections of society, asserting that Prime Minister Narendra Modi also belongs to the backward community and the NDA is committed to their welfare. "The NDA is a family, not just an alliance, and the Nishad Party is part of this family," he emphasised. Rijiju said that NDA constituents work together as a "family" under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership. The minister was in Lucknow to attend multiple events, including the 13th Sankalp Diwas of the Nirbal Indian Shoshit Hamara Aam Dal (Nishad Party) headed by Sanjay Kumar Nishad, cabinet minister of fisheries department in the state government. The Nishad community, a backward class of fishermen and boatmen, has a sizable sway over votes in Gorakhpur and its adjoining regions in eastern UP. Addressing the gathering, Rijiju said: "Prime Minister Narendra Modi also belongs to the backward community like you (Nishad community) and is always concerned about the welfare of poor and weaker sections." He asserted that the Modi government has carried out a large number of development projects and welfare schemes for the backward communities. On the occasion, deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya urged the Nishad community not to get misguided by anyone and have faith in the Modi government. "The Samajwadi Party has also always misguided you (Nishad community). Do not fall in its trap," said Maurya. "In the 2024 LS elections, the SP spread lies about revocation of reservation if BJP comes to power. Now, everyone is aware of this blatant lie of the Samajwadi Party," asserted Maurya. He assured that 'Majhwar reservation' cannot be stopped and that the NDA alone will resolve the issue. Maurya also assured the Nishad community that their pending demand of reservation (inclusion in SC community) will be fulfilled. Deputy chief minister Brajesh Pathak also took potshots at the Samajwadi Party, saying: "You have to ensure that the SP is confined to Etawah and Saifai in 2027 polls." Kiren Rijiju also said that the newly enacted VB-G RAM G Act would lay the strongest foundation for a "Viksit Bharat" by ensuring comprehensive development of villages. "This is not merely an employment programme, but a holistic roadmap for rural development. The new law marks a clear departure from earlier rural schemes that were confined to paper, vote-bank politics and corruption," he said addressing an NDA workshop here.He said despite an expenditure of around Rs 11 lakh crore under MGNREGA, rural development remained uneven as funds were misused and work was not generated where it was most needed. "Instead of employment guarantee, it had become a guarantee of loot. VB-G RAM G plugs these loopholes through technology-based monitoring, transparency and accountability," he said. UP BJP president Pankaj Chaudhary said VB-G RAM G was a decisive step towards ending corruption and accelerating rural development. He said the scheme guaranteed 125 days of employment annually to rural families, with an additional 25 days for workers in forest areas, and ensured faster wage payments on a weekly basis, unlike MGNREGA. Addressing the Alpsankhyak Sneh Samvad programme organised by the BJP Minority Morcha here, Rijiju called on the minority communities to ensure their active participation in the country's development, saying that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of a developed India cannot be realised without their involvement. Religious leaders and intellectuals from the Muslim, Christian, Sikh, Buddhist and Jain communities were present at the dialogue programme. BJP Minority Morcha president Kunwar Basit Ali, and UP Shia Waqf Board Chairman Ali Zaidi also addressed the gathering....