RS takes up Minority Education Bill for discussion

New Delhi, Mar 1 (UNI) The Rajya Sabha today took up for consideration the National Commission for Minority Educational Institutions (Amendement) Bill, 2005 even as the opposition moved a motion to disapprove the related Ordinance.

BJP's Bal Apte opposed the proposed amendment and said it was ''intended with an eye on the vote bank''.

''You change the law to upturn a law,'' he said referring to the Shah Bano case, where the government amended the law to deprive Muslim women of alimony even after the Supreme Court declared in favour of granting it.

''Should we pass this Bill which takes over the concept of minority. The concept needs to be examined,'' he said.

Calling for an end to 'pandering' in the name of minority welfare, he asked whether the French were treated as minorities in Canada or the Scots in Britain. ''There are several states where Hindus are in minority. Will their institutions be covered under this bill?'' he sought to know.

He said there was ''unholy haste'' from the UPA to bring this Bill and things were moving only because the government was eyeing minority votes.

Earlier, BJP's Murli Manohar Joshi moved a statutory motion seeking to disapprove the National Commission for Minority Educational Institutions (Amendment) Ordinance (No 1) of 2006, promulgated by the President on January 23.

The Bill provided the right to establish a minority educational institution, including the power to grant a no-objection certificate for establishing such an institution where a decision is not communicated within 60 days.

It also provides for right of these institutions to seek affiliation to any university of their choice subject to acts, statutes, rules and regulations of the concerned University.

It also enables the proposed Bill to give appelate jurisdiction to the Commission in the matters of refusal to grant no objection for establishing a minority educational institution.

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