'No proposal for minority status to Kashmiri Pandits under consideration'

NEW DELHI: No proposal for according minority status to Kashmiri Pandits in Jammu and Kashmir is under consideration of the Ministry of Minority Affairs, the government told Rajya Sabha today.

In reply to a question, Minister of State for Minority Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said representations have been received from various associations of Kashmiri Pandits for according minority status to the community in J&K.

"The issue of declaring any community as minority in the state of Jammu and Kashmir comes under the purview of the Government of Jammu and Kashmir, he added.

"No proposal for according minority status to Kashmiri Pandits is under consideration of this ministry," Naqvi said.

He was replying to a question whether the government is considering to concede the demand of Kashmiri Pandits for granting them minority status