The Centre has withdrawn an appeal filed in the Supreme Court by the human resource development ministry under the previous United Progressive Alliance government seeking permission for the Aligarh Muslim University to continue reserving 505 of its medical seats for Muslims, reported the Hindustan Times. “This letter along with any other letter issued from the MHRD supporting the minority status of the AMU may be treated as withdrawn,” said an affidavit filed by the Centre.

The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party does not favour the Uttar Pradesh university's demand for minority status. After the Allahabad high court rejected a 1981 parliamentary amendment to grant minority status to AMU, the university along with the Congress government moved the Supreme Court against the verdict in 2006.

“No judgment of a court can be undone by Parliament and/or any legislature passing a law merely undoing consequences of the said judgment. That would amount to abrogation of judicial power by the legislature and would be contrary to the very structure of the Constitution,” the National Democratic Alliance said.