My quota comments issue of governance, not related to polls-Salman Khurshid

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My quota comments issue of governance, not related to polls-Salman Khurshid

Clean Media Today

New Delhi/Lucknow, February 12  (CMC) Having landed himself in deep trouble with the Election Commission, union law minister Salman Khurshid on Sunday argued that his controversial comments on quota for minorities was an issue of governance and did not relate to polls even as the Congress virtually disapproved of the  

statement.

Khurshid's remarks which led the Election Commission to censure him triggered a demand from BJP for his dismissal from the Union Cabinet with a comment that the "law minister has become the main law breaker" and that Congress was trying to "communalise" polls.

The issue has nothing to do with elections and it's an issue of governance, Khurshid said about his comments on sub quota for Muslims during the campaign for the ongoing elections in Uttar Pradesh.

Khurshid told reporters that he had only said what was there in the Congress manifesto and that the Election Commission was perfectly entitled to do what it had done.

In an unprecedented action, the EC on Saturday sought the "immediate and decisive" intervention of President Pratibha Patil after it charged Khurshid with "improper and unlawful" defiance of its orders under which he was censured for promising sub-quota for minorities.

The Congress while distancing itself from Khurshid's remarks said the party always wants its leaders to speak as per the norms of public life and law of the land.

"The Election Commission is a constitutional body. Congress always wants that all Congressmen should speak as per the norms of public life and the law of the land," AICC General Secretary and media department chairman Janardan Dwivedi said in a statement.

When asked to comment on Dwivedi's remarks, Khurshid said,"Hum bhi to yahi keh rahe hain...Sabko apne dayre me rahna chahiye", (I am saying the same thing...Everyone should remain in his limits".

Congress leader Digvijay Singh defended Khurshid, saying every political party has the right to talk about their programmes during election campaigns and it was not correct to press charges like these against political leaders. "He should be banned by the PM in UP. If there would have been a good PM he would have been sacked," JD(U) leader Sharad Yadav said in Lucknow.

Speaking in Allahabad, CPI(M) leader Prakash Karat said, "We do not approve of Khurshid's defiant stance. He is a union minister and people occupying responsible posts must not talk and behave irresponsibly."

BJP leader Uma Bharti demanded that the Commission should take legal action against Khurshid and "send him to jail" to maintain its credibility.

"This matter of Salman Khurshid is not that of a person or party, but that of credibility of the EC. I appeal the Commission to maintain its credibility, it should take stern action against the minister," Bharti said while addressing an election rally in Rae Bareli.

Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj said that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh should promptly ask for Khurshid's resignation.

"We demand that without wasting any time, the Prime Minister should take Khurshid's resignation. If he refuses to go, then under sub-section 2 of Section 75 of the Constitution, the President must be asked for Khurshid's dismissal," Swaraj said in Varanasi.

Jaitley also appealed to the Prime Minister to intervene into the matter.

"It is my appeal to the Prime Minister that such cheap tradition should not be set that during elections the law minister becomes the main law breaker.

"The minister has broken the law and defied the constitutional institution, the Prime Minister must set an example by advising the President to withdraw the pleasure of him being in the council.