India, Feb. 18 -- Amid allegations that the Maharashtra Minority Development Department hurriedly cleared minority status certificates for 75 educational institutions within hours of deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar's death, the department has clarified that hearings on the applications were conducted in December and January.

The controversy erupted after claims that a large number of certificates were cleared immediately after Pawar's demise, raising questions about the timing and procedural integrity. A senior department official told Hindustan Times that the hearings had been held before Pawar's death and were not conducted posthumously.

Hearings on some of the certificates were conducted in December-January. As per instructions, we ...