Ahmedabad: Transport Minister and BJP state unit chief Vijay Rupani said on Saturday that Anandiben Patel-led Gujarat government has issued a resolution giving a minority status to the Jain community.

“Chief Minister Anandiben Patel today decided to accord the minority status to the Jain community. The matter had been put on hold for some time due to the Patidar reservation agitation,” said Rupani who himself is a Jain.
“A GR has been issued today,” he added.

He further added that the decision was pending so far as a large section of the Jain community felt that since several rituals of the community are similar to those practised by the Hindus; they shouldn’t be treated as a separate entity.

The UPA government had conferred the minority status on the community at the national level in January 2014.

The poor among the Jain community can avail of various scholarships and government welfare schemes. The community’s institutions will get special status like the one given to Christian and Muslim institutions, said Rupani.