Is Hindu interest neglected while providing facilities to minorities?: HC to Central Govt.

Mumbai: Justice Bilal Nazaki and Justice (Mrs.) Kapase-Tahiliyani of a Division of the Mumbai High Court have asked the Central Government to provide details, through an affidavit, about the projects undertaken by the Government for Hindus and raised a query whether Hindu interest is protected while granting various facilities to the minorities under different schemes.

The Central Government has undertaken a scheme to grant scholarships to 20,000 students from all over the country every year. Under the scheme, every State will be provided funds as per the number of minority students in the State. The Government has excluded Hindu and Jain students from this scheme. Out of the students from Muslim, Christian, Sikh, Buddhist and Parsi communities from all States, 14585, 2540, 2028, 840 and 7 students respectively will be given this scholarship. Adv. Sanjiv Punhalekar has filed a PIL against this scheme as it does not follow the principle of secularism and has demanded to conduct a judicial inquiry into the matter.

The Advocate General, Ghulam Vahanvati of the Supreme Court was present in the Court during the hearing of this case when Judge Nazaki posed the above question to him. Adv. General Vahanvati replied that the Government does not discriminate and has schemes for even Hindus as there are schemes for Muslims and Christians. He was then asked as to why Hindus were excluded from the above scheme.