Advocate-General (A-G) R. Shunmugasundaram on Friday argued before the Madras High Court that only Hindus could be appointed to teaching as well as non-teaching posts in educational institutions fully funded by the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) Department.
Appearing before Justice C. Saravanan, the A-G said Section 10 of the HR&CE Act of 1959 mandated every officer or servant, appointed to carry out the purpose of the Act, to be a person professing the Hindu religion, and stated that they would cease to hold office if they ceased to profess Hinduism.
Arulmigu Kapaleeswarar Arts and Science College in Kolathur, Chennai, was fully funded by the department. Hence, applications had been invited only from Hindus for the posts of assistant professor, physical director, librarian, assistant, junior assistant, office assistant, watchman, cleaner and sweeper, he said.
The A-G said walk-in interviews for the vacancies had already been held on October 18, and therefore, the present writ petition, filed by A. Suhail of Chennai, to permit people professing other faiths too to participate in the selection process, had become infructuous.
But petitioner’s counsel S. Doraisamy said the case could not be filed before the interview, since the High Court was on Dussehra holidays.
The judge directed the HR&CE Department to file a detailed counter affidavit in two weeks.
