In the states where the number of Hindus is less, the opinion of the states is different in the matter of giving them the status of minority. 24 states and 6 union territories have sent suggestions to the Center. The Center has filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court on the basis of these suggestions.

The state governments have different views on the demand of giving minority status to Hindus in the states according to their small population . 24 state governments and 6 union territories have submitted their suggestions to the central government. With these suggestions, the Central Government has filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court . It has also been informed that a reminder was sent to 6 states and union territories on December 21 last to send suggestions.

Most of the states have advocated giving the right to grant minority status to the states, while some have left it to the central government to decide. Others are of the opinion that the current status quo should be maintained. In the affidavit filed in the Supreme Court, the Central Government has said that Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Mizoram, Meghalaya, Manipur, Odisha, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Nagaland, Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat, Suggestions have been received from 6 Union Territories including Haryana, Goa, Bengal Tripura, Tamil Nadu, while suggestions are awaited from Arunachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Rajasthan, Telangana and Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Lakshadweep.

In the suggestions sent to the Center, Tripura, Uttarakhand, West Bengal, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Manipur, Nagaland, Punjab, Chhattisgarh, Assam and Andhra Pradesh have suggested that the status of minority be decided at the state level. While Uttar Pradesh, Meghalaya, Maharashtra, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh have given the opinion of assessment at the national or central level. Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Kerala, Bihar and Karnataka have suggested no change. On the other hand, Mizoram has given only the figures of minorities, while both the Center and States have rights and Goa has not given any opinion. While the union territories have said to run under the central government.

Central government can give status of 'migrant minority': Delhi

Looking at the suggestions of major states, the Uttar Pradesh government said that if the central government takes a decision in this matter, then it has no objection. The Delhi government has suggested that the followers of the Jewish and Baha'i religions have minority status in the capital, if the center also gives them minority status, then it will have no objection. The Delhi government further said that the followers of Hinduism do not have the status of minority in Delhi, but there are people of Hinduism who have migrated from states like Jammu Kashmir and Ladakh and are living in Delhi. The central government can give them the status of 'migrant minority'.

Uttarakhand has suggested that states should be declared minority on religious basis on the basis of population, so that that religious group can get its constitutional rights. The West Bengal government, in its suggestion, said that the state government has declared Muslims, Sikhs, Christians, Jains, Buddhists, Parsis as minorities on religious grounds, the Bengal government said that the state government has the power to declare any class as a minority. Should be

Maharashtra gave this suggestion

The Maharashtra government, in its suggestion, said that it has accorded minority status to Muslims, Sikhs, Christians, Jains, Buddhists, Parsis on religious grounds in 2006 as per the state law, while in 2016 those who follow Judaism have also been given minority status. Also, Marathi speakers have been given minority status on the basis of language. The Maharashtra government further said that on the basis of the census of the center, it can give minority status to any class after discussing with the minority department of the state.

Significantly, the Center has given this affidavit in the Supreme Court on a petition filed by advocate Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay. In the petition, the country has been demanded to give minority status to Hindus in those states where their population is less than the population of other religions.