Jains’ Minority Status to be Decided by States : Govt.

New Delhi, Nov. 25. (PTI): The Government on Thursday decided that
the minority status of the Jain community should be determined by
states and not by the Centre.

A decision to this effect was taken by the Cabinet Committee on
Political Affairs in the light of the Supreme Court's directive to
the Union Government that it should give its view about the minority
status of the Jain community, Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee told
reporters after ameeting of the Committee.

Mukherjee said the Supreme Court in its earlier judgment had held
that it was for the states to decide the minority status of the Jain
community.

The meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, was attended
by Mukherjee, Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar, External Affairs
Minister K Natwar Singh, Communication and IT Minister Dayanidhi
Maran and Law Minister H R Bhardwaj.