The Supreme Court on Monday adjourned to the first week of September, a petition challenging Section 2(C) of the National Commission for Minorities Act, 1992, which declares Muslims, Christians, Buddhists, Parsis, Sikhs and Jains as minorities at the national level.
The petition, filed by Hindu spiritual leader Devkinandan Thakur, sought district-wise identification and state-wise status to minorities, on the basis of population.
Earlier in July, the Apex Court had said that it wanted concrete proof of Hindus being denied minority status in states like Mizoram or Union territory like Jammu and Kashmir. The Court had further said that it will not examine all state-wise disputes related to minority status.
Senior Advocate Arvind Datar, appearing for Mathura-based Thakur then, had argued that while a 1993 notification said these six communities were minorities at the national level, several court verdicts have ruled that minorities have to notified by states.
In 2017, Advocate Ashwini Upadhyay had filed a petition in the Apex Court, seeking minority status for Hindus, which was sent to the National Commission For Minorities. The Commission said only the Centre could grant such relief. Upadhyay then filed a fresh plea in August, 2020, on which, the Supreme Court issued notice to the Central government.
The petition filed by Upadhyay relied on the 2011 Census, which said Hindus were a minority in Lakshadweep, Mizoram, Nagaland, Meghalaya, J&K, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur and Punjab.