Sub-quota remark part of pre-declared policy: Khurshid

The EC had earlier issued a showcause notice to the Law Minister holding prima facie his promise of 9 per cent sub-quota for minorities as violation of the model code.

Union Law Minister Salman Khurshid on Friday said his remarks regarding job quota for minorities were not in violation of the Model Code of Conduct as it was a pre-declared policy of the government and he was not speaking as a Union minister but as a Congressman.

Appearing on his behalf,senior counsel and Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi told the Election Commission that Khurshids remarks were merely a reiteration and repetition of a pre-declared policy of the UPA government,which had been announced before the Model Code of Conduct came into place.

The EC had earlier issued a showcause notice to the Law Minister holding prima facie his promise of 9 per cent sub-quota for minorities as violation of the model code.

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Singhvi said such declaration of inclusionary kind regarding minorities had been made in the partys 2002 and 2007 election manifestos in Uttar Pradesh and 2009 manifesto during the general elections. He also told the EC that Khurshid had not referred to any particular minority community and had only reiterated a pre-declared government policy.

We have given sufficiently strong reasons in this regard, Singhvi told reporters. He said Khurshid had made no appeal for votes on the basis of religion.

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