JMI minority status: Alumni Association becomes party to Jamia

New Delhi: Delhi High Court on Tuesday recalled its order taking on record an affidavit filed by the Centre that said Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) was not a minority institution. Besides, it accepted Alumni association’s request to become a party to the case. The next hearing will be on August 14.

The high court admitted that it had “blundered” in not giving other affected parties a chance of being heard. The high court recalled its March 13 order saying it had “erroneously” not noted that there were other parties in the matter who could have been affected by the proceedings.

It must be recalled that on April 13 the Delhi High Court had allowed the Centre to withdraw their affidavit filed in August 2011 that granted Jamia minority status, and had taken on record their new reply on pleas seeking to quash the National Commission for Minority Educational Institutions’ February 2011 verdict declaring Jamia a minority institute.

Reversing the Congress government’s stand, the Modi government had filed the revised affidavit in the high court opposing the order of the National Commission for Minority Educational Institutions (NCMEI) declaring Jamia Millia as a religious minority institution.