All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) President Asaduddin Owaisi has praised the Supreme Court's ruling affirming the minority status of Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), calling it a significant day for Muslims in India.
The Supreme Court's seven-judge bench delivered a 4:3 verdict overturning the 1967 decision that had stripped AMU of its minority status, reported IANS.
Owaisi took to X (formerly Twitter) to highlight the importance of the ruling, pointing out that the 1967 judgment had wrongfully denied AMU’s minority status, despite its clear entitlement under Article 30 of the Indian Constitution, which guarantees minorities the right to establish and manage their own educational institutions.
Celebrating the victory, Owaisi congratulated AMU’s students and faculty, affirming that the ruling upheld the right of minorities to manage their own educational institutions.
"It doesn’t matter whether the university was established before the Constitution or by a government law. If it was founded by minorities, it remains a minority institution. All of BJP’s arguments against this have been rejected," Owaisi wrote.
He also slammed the BJP for its long-standing opposition to AMU’s minority status, questioning its next move.
"The BJP has consistently tried to undermine AMU, Jamia, and even our right to run madrasas. It’s time for the BJP to introspect and correct its course," he added.
Owaisi urged the Modi government to take the judgment positively and provide AMU with the necessary support, highlighting the disparity in funding between central universities.
"While Jamia receives Rs 3 lakh per student and AMU Rs 3.9 lakh, Banaras Hindu University (BHU) gets Rs 6.15 lakh per student. Despite this, Jamia and AMU have consistently performed well in national rankings. With proper support, these universities could be globally recognized," Owaisi said, emphasising that the government should stop discriminating against them.
He also pointed out the neglect of AMU’s Kishanganj centre, which has been struggling for years, urging the Centre to address this issue immediately, IANS added.
