A plea seeking minority status for Hindus in eight states was filed in the Supreme Court on Monday (30 October), reports India.com. The plea was filed Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and advocate Ashwini Upadhyay.
The petition argued that the National Minority Commission was implemented in all the states but Jammu and Kashmir. Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists and Parsi communities were identified as minorities till 2014, when Jains were also included in the list, but Hindus have not included despite being a minority in eight states.
According to a Dainkik Jagran report, Hindus were minority in eight states – Lakshadweep (2.5 per cent), Mizoram (2.7 per cent), Nagaland (8.75 per cent), Meghalaya (11.53 per cent), Jammu and Kashmir (28.44 per cent), Arunachal Pradesh (29 per cent), Manipur (31.39 per cent) and Punjab (38.40 per cent). In these states, the non-minority communities enjoy benefits meant for minorities, while the minority Hindu populace receives none.
The plea further argued that despite there being 96.20 per cent Muslims in Lakshadweep and 68.30 per cent in Jammu and Kashmir, 26.60 per cent in Kerala , 27.5 per cent in West Bengal, 19.30 per cent in Uttar Pradesh and 18 per cent in Bihar they are continue to recieve benefits meant for minority communities.
The petition has demanded that Hindus be declared minorities in these states and be granted the rights accorded to minorities.
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