The Supreme Court on Monday gave a last opportunity to the states who have not so far responded to a batch of petitions seeking identification and recognition of the minority status of religious communities at the state level and posted the matter for hearing in July.

Besides seeking the identification and recognition of religious minorities in different States, the petitions have also challenged the National Minority Commission Act and the National Minority Commission Education Institution Act.

Posting the matter in July, a bench of Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice Ahsanuddin Amanullah held that it will close the opportunity to the states and UTs to respond if they don’t by the next posting.

Additional Solicitor General KM Nataraj told the court that responses have been received from all states and UTs except Rajasthan, Telangana and J&K, which has given a partial response.

While seeking an adjournment, the ASG Nataraj told the bench that he was conscious that by its last order the court had given a last opportunity to the States to respond. Delhi BJP lawyer Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay appeared as a petitioner in person.

In the previous hearing, the Attorney General R, Venkataramani had told the Court that six States/Union Territories including Arunachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Jharkhand, Lakshadweep, Rajasthan and Telangana are yet to respond to the Centre with their views on the subject.

“We fail to appreciate why these States/Union Territories do not respond and thus give last opportunity to the Central government to obtain the responses from them, failing which we will presume that they have nothing to say,” said the Bench of Justice SK Kaul, Justice Abhay Oka and Justice JB Pardiwala in the last hearing.

The Union Government had filed a status report in the matter containing views of 24 State governments and six Union Territories on the subject. It has further said that the comments from six State governments and Union Territories are still awaited.

Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh ruled by the Bharatiya Janata Party have taken a stand that the present method of notification of minorities at the Central level is correct and acceptable to them. Seven States have stated that the minority status of religious communities should be determined by treating the State as a unit.

They are Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Delhi, Maharashtra, Manipur, Mizoram, Punjab, Sikkim, Tripura, Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand and West Bengal.