Former Infosys CFO Mohandas Pai on Sunday hit back at All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen (AIMIM) leader Asaduddin Owaisi’s support for Aligarh Muslim University’s (AMU) minority status. Pai criticized Owaisi’s stand, questioning why a centrally funded university should reserve seats specifically for Muslim students.

“You are missing the point as usual. Why should any higher education institution which is wholly or substantially funded by public funds ignore and not give reservation to 50% seats as per government policy? Why should they reserve seats for Muslim students when they pay public fees for it? Reservation on the basis of religion is unconstitutional,” Pai said in his reply.

Pai also argued that universities like AMU and Jamia Millia Islamia, which receive public funds, should follow the government’s reservation policy similar to other central universities. “BHU has a reservation policy. So AMU, Jamia should fully follow the reservation policy as they get public funds,” Pai added, stressing that central universities should adhere to the reservation rules set by the government. “All central universities follow the government policy including reservation and there can be no exceptions. No discrimination in favor of AMU”.

Owaisi’s comments came after the Supreme Court’s verdict on AMU’s minority status. The AIMIM leader pointed out that the court upheld the right of minorities to set up and run educational institutions. “It does not matter whether the University was established before the Constitution or whether it was established by a government act. It is a minority institution if it was established by minorities. All arguments of the BJP have been rejected,” Owaisi. said.

The AIMIM leader also criticized the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for opposing AMU’s minority status over the years. “BJP has opposed minority status for AMU all these years. What will he do now? He made every effort to attack AMU and Jamia and even our right to run the madrassa. BJP needs to introspect and go for a course correction. The Modi government should accept this ruling, it should support AMU as it is also a central university,” Owaisi said.

Owaisi also highlighted the disparity in funding between AMU, Jamia and other universities, noting that Jamia gets Rs 3 lakh per student, AMU gets Rs 3.9 lakh, while Banaras Hindu University (BHU) gets Rs 6.15 lakh per student. “Jamia and AMU have performed well in the national rankings. With the right support, universities could be globally renowned. But for that, Modi must stop discriminating against them. AMU’s Kishanganj center has languished in recent years. And this needs to be addressed urgently and the center should start functioning as soon as possible,” Owaisi added.

The Supreme Court on Friday adjourned the issue of AMU’s minority status to a new bench, setting aside a 1967 judgment that said the university could not be considered a minority institution as it was created by a central law. The AMU fraternity welcomed the high court’s decision, which they said reaffirmed the institution’s core principles.

Professor Faizan Mustafa, former registrar of AMU and a key figure in the case, called the decision a “comprehensive win for minority rights in general and AMU in particular”.