AMU Vice Chancellor welcomes SC ruling

New Delhi, Apr 24 (UNI) Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) Vice Chancellor Naseem Ahmed today welcomed the Supreme Court ruling maintaining the minority status of the institution in accordance with the 1981 constitutional amendment.

Mr Ahmed said the ruling has restored the character of AMU as it was prior to the litigation at the Allahabad High Court.

The AMU Students' Union also welcomed the ruling, saying the judiciary was the only institution which could establish true social justice in India.

''The judiciary helps in substantive operationalisation of Minority rights,'' it said.

Earlier, a bench, comprising Justices K G Balakrishnan and D K Jain while issuing notices on a petition filed by AMU and the Centre to the respondents, referred the matter to a five-judge constitution bench.

The Supreme Court directed that the status of AMU as on date of filing of the writ petition in the Allahabad High Court would continue till further orders.

Senior counsel Soli Sorabjee and Rajiv Dhawan, appearing for the University, pleaded that the impugned Allahabad High Court order seeks to do away with the minority character of the institution which it had been enjoying since its inception in 1920.

The petitioner counsel also pleaded that the AMU has started several theological courses and if the operation of the impugned High Court judgement was not stayed it will create other problems for AMU.

The court, however, directed that the condition of reservation of 60 per cent seats for Muslim students in AMU would not be implemented for the academic year 2006-07.

UNI NR PA VC1924