SC asks UP to withdraw biased notification

Expressing displeasure,the Supreme Court Thursday ordered the UP government to withdraw a notification that talked about financial aid for relocation and rehabilitation only to Muslim families affected by Muzaffarnagar communal riots.

Is it correct that your notification mentions only one community? May be it is because of this attitude that Jat Mahasabha filed a petition and we were compelled to issue notices, said a Bench led by Chief Justice P Sathasivam. We feel that you need to issue a revised notification. You better withdraw this notification and issue a fresh one. Dont talk about only one community. Give it to all the persons eligible.

The issue was brought to the notice of the court by advocate M L Sharma,who claimed that state government was biased for one community and that the October 26-notification manifested it unequivocally.

Senior advocate Rajeev Dhavan,appearing for the state,promptly did the damage-control by conceding that the impugned clause was disturbing. We will recall it and issue a fresh one, he submitted.