SC: Are Muslims minority in J&K?

New Delhi, March 27: The Supreme Court asked the Centre and the J&K government to “sit together” and decide contentious issues, including the question whether Muslims can be treated as minority in the state.

A bench comprising Chief Justice J.S. Khehar and Justices D.Y. Chandrachud and S.K. Kaul asked both the governments submit a report to it within four weeks. “This is a very very important issue. You both sit together and take a stand on it,” the bench said.

Last month, the court had imposed a cost of `30,000 on it for not filing its reply to a PIL alleging that minority benefits are being enjoyed by majority Muslims in J&K. It had accorded a last opportunity to the Centre to file its reply, saying the matter is very important.

The court had, however, allowed the counsel for the Centre to file the response after depositing the cost and had also noted that a fine of `15,000 was also imposed last time also for the same reason.

Earlier, the court had issued notice to the Centre, state and the National Commission for Minorities (NCM) on the plea filed by Jammu-based advocate Ankur Sharma, alleging that benefits accruing to minorities were being taken away by Muslims, who were in a majority.

The plea also alleged that rights of religious and linguistic “minorities” in the state were being “siphoned off illegally and arbitrarily” due to extension of benefits to “unqualified sections” of the population.