BJP seeks clarification from PM on Govt's stand on Jamia

In the backdrop of reported differences between two Union Ministers over giving minority status to Jamia Milia Islamia University, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday sought clarification from the Prime Minister on the Government's stand on this.

In the backdrop of reported differences between two Union Ministers over giving minority status to Jamia Milia Islamia University, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday sought clarification from the Prime Minister on the Government's stand on this.

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"UPA (United Progressive Alliance) Government is becoming a Government of differences. The two Cabinet Ministers are divided on whether Jamia University should be given minority status."

"The UPA Ministers stand divided on important issues like Naxalism, our relations with China and other important issues," BJP spokesperson Shahnawaz Hussain said.

According to official sources, the ministries of Minority Affairs and Human Resources Development (HRD) are at loggerheads over the issue of granting minority status to Jamia Milia Islamia, with Minority Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid and HRD Minister Kapil Sibal taking opposite stands on the issue.

While Khurshid has supported grant of minority status to the 90-year-old university, Sibal has not endorsed such a view and asked for more facts from the former to justify the need for altering the present status of the institution.

The matter of grant of minority status to Jamia is at present pending with the National Commission for Minority Educational Institutions.