SC Scraps Plea Challenging Centre’s ‘Minority Status’ Notification

SC dismisses plea challenging Centre’s notification according minority status to 5 communities

SC dismisses plea challenging Centre’s notification according minority status

(Photo Courtesy: Reuters)

The Supreme Court on Tuesday 17 December, dismissed a petition challenging the validity of the Centre's 26-year-old notification declaring five communities – Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, and Parsis – as minorities

A bench headed by Chief Justice SA Bobde refused to entertain the PIL filed by BJP leader and lawyer Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay, seeking laying of guidelines to accord minority status based on state-wise population of a community.

"Religion must be considered pan-India," said the bench, which also comprised justices BR Gavai and Surya Kant.