more-inThe Union government on Friday told the Karnataka High Court that it would take some time to consider the communication received from the State government recommending grant of “minority religion status” to Lingayat and Veerashaiva Lingayats. Additional Solicitor General (Karnataka HC) Prabhuling K. Navadgi made the submission during the hearing of the petitions,which claimed that neither the State government nor the Karnataka State Minorities Commission (KSMC) had the power to recognise a community as a religious minority. Pointing out that State government’s recommendation was received in the Ministry of Minority Affairs and it had been forwarded to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) as the classification of any section of population as a religion was done by the Registrar-General of India under the MHA, Mr. Navadgi said that the process considering the recommendation would take time for the very nature of issues involved. Taking note of the ASG’s submission and overall circumstances, a Division Bench, comprising Chief Justice Dinesh Maheshwari and Justice B.M. Shyam Prasad, adjourned further hearing till June 19.

Source: The Hindu April 13, 2018 18:33 UTC