Parties opposing minority status removal are acting against minorities: BJP

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday said that political parties opposing the Centre's move of questioning the minority status of the Aligarh Muslim University and Jamia Milia are acting against the interest of the minority community.

"We are doing exactly, what is prescribed in the constitution. These parties are taking a stand which is against the constitution and against the interest of the minority community," BJP leader Zafar Islam told ANI.

"There are 10,000 minority institutions in the country and they are not being funded by the Central Government. But if it becomes Central University then it can be funded by the Centre," he added.

The BJP leader further said that these political parties are taking a divisive stand against the Constitution.

"They should know that if the Universities remain minority institutions then the government funding would not be there," he added.

MP from eight parties had yesterday issued a joint statement, condemning the Central Government's questioning the minority status of AMU and Jamia Milia Universities.

"We strongly condemn, and express our displeasure and deep concern over the nasty move by the Central Government to strip off the minority status from Aligarh Muslim University and Jamia Milia Islamia," said the statement.

JD (U) Rajya Sabha MP K. C. Tyagi had accused the government of being adamant to gag the freedom of minority institutions.

Meanwhile, stating that AMU and Jamia were established before the Constitution came into existence, Tyagi told ANI that the government's decision to 'strip the minority status of the Universities is a conspiracy against the minorities'.