AMU cannot have central varsity and minority institution status simultaneously: BJP

The Bharatiya Janata Party on Saturday said Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) and the Jamia Milia Islamia (JMI) cannot have central university and minority institution status simultaneously.

Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi told the reporters that political confusion has been created on the issue, which could have been avoided.

"Both universities are central universities. The issue is whether the status of both central and minority institution can be given to these two universities," he said.

"The status of central university and minority institution cannot co-exist as the status of the minority institutes is protected under the Minority Institution Act. The matter is in court. We will wait for the verdict," he added.

He also said that the minority status is intact as guaranteed by the Constitution. "We have 22,000 registered minority institutions and innumerable unregistered minority institutes," he said.

Naqvi also said that educational campuses should be used for promotion of knowledge and nation building and not to promote caste and communal politics.

"Educational campuses should not be used to promote caste and communal politics. We should use them for knowledge, nationalism, for nation development and nation building," he said.

"The campuses and the youth should come forward to fight and to propagate against the evil forces who are trying to destroy our harmony, unity and the journey of the development of the nation," he added.

The issue of restoration of minority character of AMU is at present pending with the Supreme Court but, what has triggered off the protests, is the Centre's recent decision to reverse the UPA regime's stand of supporting the university in the apex court on this issue.