Minority status: Clarify which ministry will be dealing with issue, asks Supreme Court

New Delhi, March 28

The Supreme Court on Monday asked the Centre to clarify as to which ministry would deal with the demand to declare Hindus as “minority” in states and union territories where they were numerically inferior after the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) sought to distance itself from it.

Also read: Hindus can be declared ‘minority’ in states where they’re numerically lower strength: Centre tells Supreme Court

After recording the statement of MHA, a Bench led by Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul gave four weeks to the Centre to clarify as to which ministry should be dealing with the issue. The Bench posted the matter for further hearing on May 10.

The MHA told the court that advocate Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay’s petition related to the National Commission for Minority Educational Institutions Act, 2004 and the National Commission for Minorities Act, 1992, which came under the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Minority Affairs, respectively.

The Bench noted that the MHA has requested that the Ministry of Minority Affairs may deal with the matter in consultation with the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Law and Justice and also protect the interest of MHA in the case. —