A petition filed in the Supreme Court has accused former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh of acting on a “whim” and setting up the Justice Rajinder Sachar Committee over 15 years ago to inquire into the social, economic and educational status of the Muslim community.
The petition filed by a few residents of Uttar Pradesh, who introduced themselves as followers of the Sanatan Vedic Dharm, asked the court to stop the Union government from implementing any recommendations based on the Justice Sachar Committee report of 2006. They said the report “infringes” on the rights of Hindus.
The petitioners claimed that the March 2005 notification setting up the committee did not mention it was based on a Cabinet decision. “It is clear that the then Prime Minister on his own whims issued the direction appointing the committee to inquire into the social, economic and educational status of Muslim community, whereas, by virtue of Articles 14 and 15, no religious community can be treated separately,” the petition said.
The petition argued that the power to appoint a Commission to investigate into the conditions of socially and educationally backward classes vests with the President under Article 340 of the Constitution.
“It is relevant to mention that the entire Muslim community has not been identified as socially and educationally backward class,” the petition argued.
