NEW DELHI: A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has been filed in the Supreme Court which seeks minority status for the Hindu population in eight states and Union Territories of the Indian Union.
The PIL filed by Delhi Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and advocate Ashwani Kumar Upadhyay said that in eight states, the population of Hindus has registered a decline as per the 2011 Census.
The petition reads: "According to the 2011 Census, Hindus are minority in eight states, i.e. Lakshadweep (2.5%), Mizoram (2.75%), Nagaland (8.75%), Meghalaya (11.53%), J&K (28.44%), Arunachal Pradesh (29%), Manipur (31.39%) and Punjab (38.40%).
"But, their minority rights are being siphoned off illegally and arbitrarily to the majority population because neither Central nor the state governments have notified Hindus as a 'minority' under Section 2(c) of National Commission for Minority Act. Therefore, Hindus are being deprived of their basic rights, guaranteed under Articles 25 to 30," the petition adds further.
The petition further says Muslims are in majority in Lakshdweep (96.20%) and Jammu and Kashmir (68.30%) while their population is in significant numbers in Assam (34.20%), West Bengal (27.5%), Kerala (26.60%), Uttar Pradesh (19.30%) and Bihar (18%). However, despite this fact, the Muslim community continues to enjoy the 'minority' status, and the communities which are in the real minority are deprived of their legitimate share.
"Christians are the majority in Mizoram, Meghalaya, and Nagaland and there is a significant Christian population in Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Kerala, Manipur, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal, but they are treated as a minority. Likewise, Sikhs are the majority in Punjab and there is a significant Sikh population in Delhi, Chandigarh, and Haryana but they are also treated as a minority," the BJP leader said.
Content courtesy: Times Now Digital
The PIL filed by Delhi Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and advocate Ashwani Kumar Upadhyay said that in eight states, the population of Hindus has registered a decline as per the 2011 Census.
The petition reads: "According to the 2011 Census, Hindus are minority in eight states, i.e. Lakshadweep (2.5%), Mizoram (2.75%), Nagaland (8.75%), Meghalaya (11.53%), J&K (28.44%), Arunachal Pradesh (29%), Manipur (31.39%) and Punjab (38.40%).
"But, their minority rights are being siphoned off illegally and arbitrarily to the majority population because neither Central nor the state governments have notified Hindus as a 'minority' under Section 2(c) of National Commission for Minority Act. Therefore, Hindus are being deprived of their basic rights, guaranteed under Articles 25 to 30," the petition adds further.
The petition further says Muslims are in majority in Lakshdweep (96.20%) and Jammu and Kashmir (68.30%) while their population is in significant numbers in Assam (34.20%), West Bengal (27.5%), Kerala (26.60%), Uttar Pradesh (19.30%) and Bihar (18%). However, despite this fact, the Muslim community continues to enjoy the 'minority' status, and the communities which are in the real minority are deprived of their legitimate share.
"Christians are the majority in Mizoram, Meghalaya, and Nagaland and there is a significant Christian population in Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Kerala, Manipur, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal, but they are treated as a minority. Likewise, Sikhs are the majority in Punjab and there is a significant Sikh population in Delhi, Chandigarh, and Haryana but they are also treated as a minority," the BJP leader said.
Content courtesy: Times Now Digital
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