The Calcutta High Court, on 2 September, ruled that the government of West Bengal’s order to give stipends to the Imams and Mouazzins is unconstitutional. Hearing a Public Interest Litigation filed by the BJP, a Division Bench of the High Court said the government’s order clearly violates Articles 14 and 15 (1) of the Constitution. The judgement of the HC fell back on the ruling of Supreme Court in 1993 where the apex court had ruled that no religious functionaries could be paid from Government exchequer.
Earlier, the Mamta Banarjee government, on 9 April 2012, had announced monthly allowances of Rs 2500 and Rs 1500 to the Imams and Muazzins of the state and allocate the budget worth Rs 660 crore in assembly. Reportedly, 30,000 out of 75,000 Imams are receiving the grant. Meanwhile, a huge number of beneficiaries, on 3 September, assembled near Vidhan Sabha and urged the Chief Minister to litigate the issue to the apex court.