Voice of Humanity, an organisation working for Human Rights, dignity and freedom, organised a legal workshop on the minority status of AMU in the light of Article 30 at Indian Law Institute on 27 February.
Former Chief Justice of India, A M Ahmadi, while speaking on the occasion, said, “I have no doubt in my mind that the character of AMU is that of minority institution. But unfortunately over a period of time some judges in the Supreme Court and in the High Court gave their own interpretation.”
He further said, “The problem is that now Azeez Basha has to be reversed. It is a five-judge bench judgment and it can be reversed by a larger bench judgment. Now if you look at the Azeez Basha case it was deciding on the character of the university and the university was not made the party in that. The basic tenet of law that natural justice has to be done and for the purpose of deciding the character of the university, it was important that you have the university before you as a party to defend its character. The larger bench hearing should be fixed as early as possible.”
Ahmadi also said, “No matter what you say here and at any other places the matter will only be decided by the judiciary or the parliament can overrule. The Attorney General is known for making such comments. He has earlier made on the collegium system and therefore and I don’t think that the Government will move forward in that direction.” Ahmadi, while replying to a question, do you think AMU minority case will be vindicated by the Judiciary, told Radiance, “I am optimistic.”
Former Law Minister, Hansraj Bhardwaj expressed concern on the U-turn of the present government on the decision taken during the UPA government. “It is a legal issue but it also requires political pressure from the opposition in Parliament because it is the Parliament which can overrule.”
Justice Jaspal Singh said, “I see some of them beating their broad chest and shouting Amartya Sen must go, Jawahar Lal University must be burnt down, students leaders must either commit suicides or be put behind bars, textbooks must be changed, history must be re-written, ideas must be censored, press must be gagged, books must be banned, language representing Ganga Jamuni tehzeeb must die on slow path. In such a scenario when I feel hunted and haunted, you ask me to speak on minority status of AMU and that too in terms of law which can be moulded, twisted, scuttled and even made to dust.”
Qurban Ali, a senior journalist; Bhim Singh, founder and chairman of Panthers Party; P K Ibrahim, an Advocate from Kerala; Advocate Ajmal from Allahabad High Court and Advocate Rajeev Nanda also addressed the gathering.