ALLAHABAD: Giving relief to Muslims, a Division Bench of the Allahabad High Court on Friday stayed a single judge's controversial judgment denying minority status to them in Uttar Pradesh.

A Division Bench comprising Justice S R Alam and Justice Krishna Murari gave the stay order after preliminary hearing of the review petition filed by the state government challenging the verdict of Justice S N Srivastava.

The state government, which moved an urgent application for hearing, argued that it was not necessary for the single judge to adjudicate on the minority status of Muslims since this matter was neither before him nor any relief sought.

The stay came on the eve of the first phase of the crucial elections to the UP Assembly after the order had triggered an outcry among almost all political parties excluding the BJP and several Muslim organizations.

Highlighting the urgency of the matter, Advocate General S M A Kazmi submitted that "hundreds of welfare schemes run by the state government would be affected by the judgment and all the benefits accruing to Muslims under those schemes will come to an end."

Challenging the judgment, Advocate General S M A Kazmi said "the order was passed without reasons. Besides, the question of minority status for Muslims was neither before the single judge nor any relief was sought on the basis thereof. It was, therefore, not necessary to adjudicate on this issue."