SC hears plea that Jammu and Kashmir's majority should not get minority benefits

The Supreme Court on Tuesday issued notice to the Centre on a plea that Jammu and Kashmir's majority population, Muslims, should not be allowed to reap the benefits of the Central schemes for the welfare of minorities.

Notice was also issued to the Jammu and Kashmir state and the National Minorities Commission.

The bench headed by Chief Justice TS Thakur issued notice after PIL petitioner Ankur Sharma told the court that Muslims constitute 68% of Jammu and Kashmir's population and thus were not a "minority" in the state.

The petitioner has sought that the benefits offered under the Prime Minister's 15-point guidelines for the welfare of minorities too should not go to the majority segment of the state population.

Sharma told the court that there was no State Minority Commission in Jammu and Kashmir.

While the bench issued notice to the Centre returnable in four weeks, it refused to pass any interim order to block the benefits of the central schemes from being availed by the majority population in the northern state.