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The Supreme Court of India delivered a significant verdict on Friday, overturning its 1967 ruling that Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) is not a minority institution. This decision has sparked reactions from various political parties, with the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) and the Samajwadi Party expressing their approval of the court's judgment. Asaduddin Owaisi, the president of AIMIM, emphasized the importance of this verdict for the Muslim community in India, stating that it upholds their right to establish and administer their own educational institutions. He pointed to Article 30 of the Indian Constitution, which guarantees this right to minorities. Owaisi further celebrated the victory for AMU students and faculty, stating that the verdict confirms that institutions established by minorities are indeed minority institutions, regardless of when they were established.
The AIMIM leader also directed his remarks towards the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), calling on them to introspect their stance on AMU's minority status, which they have opposed for years. He highlighted the BJP's efforts to attack AMU and Jamia Millia Islamia, as well as their attempts to restrict even the operation of madrasas. Owaisi expressed his belief that the BJP must now engage in a course correction. In addition to urging the BJP to change its stance, Owaisi also called on the central government to support AMU, which is also a central university, following the court's verdict. He drew comparisons between funding allocated to different institutions, emphasizing that AMU receives significantly less than Banaras Hindu University (BHU) despite AMU and Jamia Millia Islamia consistently achieving strong national rankings. Owaisi stressed the potential for these universities to gain global recognition with adequate support but emphasized that discrimination against them by the Modi government must stop.
The Samajwadi Party (SP) also welcomed the Supreme Court's verdict, with their national spokesperson Abdul Hafeez Gandhi stating that the decision paves the way for AMU's recognition as a minority institution in the future. He further highlighted that the court's order establishes certain tests to determine the minority character of institutions. Gandhi expressed confidence that AMU will fulfill these requirements, and that a future regular bench of the court will ultimately decide in AMU's favor. The Supreme Court's ruling has rekindled the debate surrounding the status of minority institutions in India, with political parties and stakeholders taking sides and expressing their viewpoints on the matter. The verdict is likely to have significant ramifications for AMU and its future as a minority educational institution in India.