New Delhi, January 13: Corporate affairs and Minority affairs Minister Salman Khurshid, Defence Minister AK Antony, HRD Minister Kapil Sibal coming out after meeting of the Group of Ministers on caste based census.
The Congress today rejected law minister Salman Khurshid’s statement on granting 9% quota for minorities, calling it his personal view. Congress spokesman Rashid Alvi on Friday said promise of 9 % sub-quota for OBC Muslims in Uttar Pradesh by Salman Khurshid is individual view.
In the meanwhile, Khurshid on Friday dismissed regret over the controversial statement. “No. Why should I regret? You regret when you do something unlawful,” he told reporters while emerging from a meeting of the Group of Ministers on Bhopal gas tragedy.
Khurshid made the promise of nine% sub-quota for muslims within the existing 27% OBC quota in Farrukhabad assembly constituency in Uttar Pradesh where his wife Louise is in the fray.
He was slapped with a notice on Tuesday by the Election Commission which held that prima facie his promise on sub-quota for backward muslims within existing 27% OBC quota was “serious violation” of the model code of conduct.
He replied to the notice on Thursday, defending his statement by citing the 2009 Congress poll manifesto in which the party had promised to provide for a sub-quota for minorities.
“We have to file a reply. How can you not file a reply? Yes, I have filed the reply,” the minister said when asked about it.
Queried whether he felt it was a mistake to make such a statement, he shot back, “If I say you that I committed a mistake, what will be my reply?”
When pointed out that chief election commissioner SY Quraishi had complained to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh about his earlier statement suggesting the law ministry’s control over the election commission, Khurshid was dismissive, claiming “no complaint has been made”.
–Agencies