Wednesday, October 5 2005 19:46 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) today (Oct 5, 2005) asked the Government not to appeal against the annulment of the Aligarh Muslim University's minority status, saying religion-based reservations were 'detrimental' to national unity.

"The Government has committed a sin as it tried to convert the Aligarh Muslim University into an Aligarh Muslim Madrasa," BJP vice-president Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said at a party briefing here.

His comments came in the wake of Allahabad High Court striking down the AMU Amendment Act of 1981, which designated the university as a minority institution.

The verdict also invalidated a February 25 Central notification that allowed 50 per cent reservation for Muslims in postgraduate medical courses.

"The United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government should rather cancel its reservation order that aimed to damage the original equal-opportunity foundations of the AMU. The government should desist from going for a Shahbano-type solution to nullify the judgement," Naqvi said.

The BJP leader also accused the Congress-led Government of using religion-based reservation to further its own political interests.