AMU not minority institution, must follow reservation policy: RSS

New Delhi:  Asserting that Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) is not a minority institution, RSS on Saturday said the varsity is committing a "big crime" by not implementing the policy of reservation for SCs, STs and OBCs.

RSS joint general secretary Krishna Gopal said the NDA government's stand on the issue of AMU's minority status was in sync with that of previous governments, barring the UPA dispensation, and an order by the apex court in 1968.

The NDA government had told the Supreme Court in April that it would withdraw the appeal filed by the erstwhile UPA government challenging the Allahabad High Court verdict holding AMU as non-minority institution.

"The Centre took the stand which was the position of Maulana Azad, (HRD Minister) MC Chagla, (Saiyid) Nurul Hasan. At that time, all the (then) three Prime Ministers Jawaharlal Nehru, Lal Bahadur Shastri and Indira Gandhi were also there. Our stand is similar to the decision of the Supreme Court. We did not change the decision, it was done in 2005 by the UPA.

"So, the present central government has not taken any new decision. They have taken the same decision which was given by a bench of five judges of the Supreme Court in 1968. It's the same decision taken by the Constituent Assembly, which had Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar, Maulana Azad and several Muslim leaders," Mr Gopal said.

He was speaking on a day-long workshop on 'National Reservation Policy and Aligarh Muslim University', which was attended by several BJP lawmakers.

The issue assumes significance as BJP is raising the issue in view of Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls where the party is seeking to repeat its Lok Sabha performance when it won 71 of the state's 80 seats.

Speaking on this occasion, BJP lawmaker from Lalgang Neelam Sonker said "injustice" is being done by the varsity by not implementing the reservation policy and that she, along with other BJP lawmakers, will raise the issue in Parliament and take it before the people.

Mr Gopal said all central universities give reservations to SC, ST and OBCs. He noted that even Banaras Hindu University, on whose basis the law for AMU was formulated, implements the policy of reservation.

"On the basis of Kashi (Banaras) Hindu University, the AMU Act was made, but they (the AMU) don't give reservation. This is a dilemma. This is discriminatory. Not implementing the policy of reservation is a big crime," the RSS leader said.