SC Refuses To Entertain Plea Seeking Minority Tag For Hindus, Allows Petitioner To Move HCs

Refusing to entertain a plea seeking minority status for Hindus in states and union territories where they are substantially fewer in numbers in comparison to other communities, the Supreme Court on Thursday (20 February) allowed the petitioner to move respective state High Courts, reports Times of India.

According to the report, the SC bench of Justices R F Nariman and S Ravindra Bhat turned down BJP leader and advocate Ashwini Upadhyay’s plea seeking to define the word ‘minority’ and laying down of guidelines to grant minority status to a community on the basis of state-wise population.

Representing Upadhyay, Senior Advocate Vikas Singh contended that the expression 'minority' has been used in Articles 29 and 30 of the Constitution but it has nowhere been defined.

He said that guidelines need to be laid for their identification at state level in accordance with the apex court verdict of 2002, reports Business Standard.

As per the Census of 2011, Hindus are actual minority in Laddakh, Mizoram, Lakshdweep, Kashmir, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Punjab and Manipur, Singh said.

However, the Bench turned down the plea and asked the petitioner to move individual state high courts to redefine “religious minorities” in the respective states.