Supreme Court gives Centre one year to decide on minority status to Brahmo Samaj

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court has asked the Brahmo Samaj society to approach the Union minority affairs ministry to seek minority status.

The society had demanded such status from the court after the West Bengal government allegedly tried to interfere with its functioning 23 years ago.

The top court on January 15 directed the central government to take a decision on this within a year.

Till then the state government will have to continue to aid the society’s educational institutions and pay salaries to teachers, principals and vice principals appointed under the state laws, the court said.

The court will later consider another plea by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee to grant minority status to its educational institutions in Punjab. The High Court has ruled that SGPC-run bodies are not minority in Punjab. The SGPC said that this takes away its right to take in more than 50 per cent Sikhs in its institutions.