Supreme Court decision has provided justice to deprived Minorities of J&K: Kavinder

Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and former Deputy Chief Minister, Kavinder Gupta, while welcoming the Supreme Court Judgment on granting minority status to Hindus, has asserted that the Apex Court has finally done justice to the minorities of Jammu and Kashmir including Hindus and Sikhs who had been deprived of multiple benefits on this count. He said that the decision of the Supreme Court has cleared the way for declaring Hindus as minority in six States and two Union Territories including Jammu and Kashmir. He said that now onus is on the concerned States and Union Territories to take this decision to its logical conclusion.

He was speaking to media persons during his visit to Yatri Niwas at Bhagwati Nagar Jammu.

Kavinder termed the Apex Court’s pronouncement as a historic decision providing justice to the minorities in Jammu and Kashmir who have been deprived of the benefits of minority despite all factors being in their favour. He said that in Jammu and Kashmir where the members of Muslim Community despite constituting seventy percent population are considered minority. He added that there had been consistent demand from various communities in Jammu and Kashmir. He said that Sikhs in J&K have been demanding minority status in J&K for which Article 370 was a hurdle. Similarly Buddhists in Ladakh are entitled to get minority status.

The former Dy Chief Minister, while expressing pleasure over the Supreme Court decision, said that by pronouncing the judgement the Apex Court has paved the way for doing justice with these deprived minorities in several states including Jammu and Kashmir. He said that the judgement has made it clear that initiative to grant minority status has to be taken by the States after taking various statistical factors into consideration.

Kavinder asserted that the benefits of reservation in jobs, educational institutions, besides others will undoubtedly percolate to the deserving minorities once the concerned States and Union Territories take the judgment to its logical conclusion by granting minority status to the Hindus, etc. as per their population count in the respective states and Union Territories.

It is pertinent to mention here that Supreme Court had previously given the Union Government “the last opportunity” to respond to a public interest petition that demanded that minorities be identified state-wise and that Hindus be declared a minority in six states and two Union territories including Jammu and Kashmir.

The Apex Court Bench hearing the petition relied on the Supreme Court’s 2002 TMA Pai judgment that held religious and linguistic minorities have to be considered state-wise under Article 30 of the Constitution of India.

Earlier, Kavinder Gupta interacted with pilgrims of Amanath Yatra at Yatri Niwas and took stock of the facilities being provided to them. He said that the government is taking all measures to ensure that no one faces any trouble during the Yatra. He assured the pilgrims that the government has taken proactive steps for their comfort and convenience during the Yatra and any discomfort is out of the question.

Among others who were present include Vinay Gupta, District President Jammu, Narinder Koki, Corporator Parmod Kapahi, Lucky Puri, Nayan Gupta, Aapar Sharma, Rekha Mahajan and Sunil Gupta.