The Tribune
RSS demand for minority panel puts BJP in fix
Dinesh Manhotra
Tribune News Service
Jammu, July 23
The BJP is in a quandary after the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS)
favoured minority status for Hindus living in Jammu and Kashmir.
The coalition government, in which the BJP is an equal partner, had
opposed the creation of a minority commission in J&K which is the
only Muslim majority state in the country.
“It is a welcome step. Ultimately, the RSS leadership has come forward
to restore constitutional and fundamental rights to the minority
community in J&K,” said Ankur Sharma, a Jammu-based advocate who has
filed a writ petition in the Supreme Court for setting up the minority
panel. He, however, regretted that the state BJP, which is one of the
constituents of the Sangh Parivar, has opposed constitutional rights to
Hindus, Sikhs and other minorities. “The RSS leadership must direct the
state BJP not to deprive Hindus and Sikhs of the state of their
constitutional rights,” he had said.
On Thursday, All India Prachar Pramukh of the RSS Manmohan Vaidya had
favoured minority rights for the Hindus living in J&K. He said the
government should take note of the demand for setting up a minority
commission in J&K.
Since Vaidya’s statement, no BJP leader is ready to come on record on
the issue because neither the party can oppose its political mentor’s
stand nor it can contradict its own government’s affidavit in the
Supreme Court.
Responding to the writ petition, J&K had filed an affidavit in the
apex court in February to oppose a minority commission. “The petition
for setting up a state minority commission in Jammu and Kashmir through a
proper legislation, including time-bound identification and
notification of religious and linguistic minorities by the state, is
legally not maintainable,” the PDP-BJP government had told the apex
court.
Similarly on the floor of the Legislative Council, Social Welfare
Minister Sajjad Lone on June 24, 2016, had outrightly rejected the
demand for setting up a minority commission.
On March 27 this year, the Supreme Court had asked the Centre and
J&K Government to sit together and take a decision on setting up a
minority commission in the state.