Minority institutions: Joshi tells Salve to rebut Soli in court

The Centre has asked Solicitor-General Harish Salve to rebut the submissions of Attorney-General Soli Sorabjee in the minority institutions&...

The Centre has asked Solicitor-General Harish Salve to rebut the submissions of Attorney-General Soli Sorabjee in the minority institutions’ case in the Supreme Court.

In a letter to Salve, Union Human Resources Development Minister Murli Manohar Joshi has endorsed the views expressed by him before the 11-judge bench of the Supreme Court in the matter.

Pointing out that the Union Cabinet had approved his submissions, Joshi has requested Salve ‘‘to take appropriate steps to clarify to the Court that the stand of the Union is as had been presented by you (Salve), and also to rebut the submissions of the Attorney-General to the extent (that) they are inconsistent with the stand of the Union.’’

Last week, Sorabjee had expressed an opinion contrary to the Centre’s on whether an aided minority institution could reserve 50 per cent of its seats for students belonging to its community.

While the Centre had argued that such institutions be barred from reserving any seats on religious or linguistic grounds, Sorabjee took the position that the 50 per cent ceiling the court had set in St Stephen’s case should be removed and the extent of reservation should depend on ‘‘the facts and circumstances of the case’’.

But Sorabjee had made it clear from the outset that he was not appearing for or against the Centre or any of the parties. He had maintained that there was ‘‘no question of any confrontation with the Government of India, nor any rift between the Attorney-General and the Solicitor-General.’’