A closer look reveals that all that these arguments show is that Hindus do not enjoy the same ‘discriminatory rights’ as other communities do.

It’s pertinent to look at the language, traditional medicine and theology departments of the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), also a centrally funded institute.

As per AMU’s prospectus, student applicants must specify their religion, and the university reserves the right to refuse admission to any individual without assigning any reason.

New Delhi’s St Stephen’s College receives 95 per cent of its funds from the government of India but reserves 50 per cent of the seats for Christians. The Christian Medical College of Vellore reserves 85 per cent of its seats for Christians in the Nursing course.

These are just two of hundreds of examples from “minority” institutions across ‘secular’ India. These institutions are not only allowed to discriminate on the basis of religion but are even exempted from implementing the constitutionally mandated quota for Scheduled Castes/Tribes/Other Backward Classes (OBCs).

On the other hand, documents suggest that the makers of BHU that initially wanted intake of students based on Varnashram in orthodox Hinduism, perhaps wanted Hindus from only certain castes to be students.

But today, SVDV has both students and teachers from Dalit castes even though the Faculty remains overwhelmingly Brahmin.

Rahul Mishra, publication superintendent in SVDV, told this correspondent that out of 39 teachers, three are Dalits and two are from OBC. “Only 1 per cent of all students are Dalits, OBC and women; rest are Brahmins.

“But this is because we don’t get applicants. Reserved seats are vacant,” he said. Most women, he informed, are PhD scholars. A graduate is called a Shashtri, which is equivalent to a BA degree. A post-graduate becomes an Acharya.

The constitution of St Stephen’s College states that the Supreme Council of the college, which is in control of moral and religious education, will have its members only from the Church.

A recent piece in Swarajya argues,

“Looking at the angry reactions and admonitions that they have heaped on the protesting BHU students, one might be mistaken into thinking that these public figures are genuinely worried about the communalisation of university spaces. Certainly not.”

“...Why does the same ilk. which is agitated over BHU students for demanding that their religious education be in control of practicising Hindus, stay silent on the bigotry of institutions like St Stephen's College?”