State BJP Spokesperson, Prof. Virender Gupta welcomes the direction of Supreme Court on the petition filed by Advocate Ankur Sharma, that both centre and Jammu Government to sit together to decide if Muslim in the state who constitutes 68 percent of State Population can be regarded as minority and avail the benefits as sanctioned to the Minorities by Government of India. The Advocate had pleaded that National Commission for minorities Act is not applicable in Jammu and Kashmir due to caveat by of Article 370 of the Constitution and alleged that rights of religious and linguistic minorities in the state were being siphoned off illegally and arbitrarily due to the extension of benefits to the Muslim who are unqualified for such benefits. The Advocate argued that crores of rupees are being given to the members of the majority community under various scheme meant for linguistic and religious minorities. The Advocate appealed that State Government is violating Article 29 and Article 30 under the constitution which guarantee the protection of the interests of minorities and their rights to establish and administer educational institutions.
The Spokespersons said that actual minorities in the state are feeling suffocated and depressed by the anti-minority policy pursued by the successive governments with the government at the centre always conniving, in the past. He said that it is the time to adopt a judicious and fair policy towards them, address their grievances and take steps to protect their identity and culture by all means.
