Alvi defends Khurshid; says he was talking about development

Mumbai: Coming out in support of Union Law Minister Salman Khurshid on his controversial assurance to the electorate in Uttar Pradesh on minority quota, Congress spokesperson Rashid Alvi today said the union law minister was talking about developmental issues. “Salman Khurshid is not talking about any religion. He is rather talking of development,” Alvi said, talking to reporters here. Khurshid had said during the UP campaign that Congress would provide 9 percent quota to minorities within the existing 27 percent OBC quota. While opposition BJP has lambasted him for it, the election commission too has found the statement objectionable. [caption id=“attachment_211896” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“Coming out in support of Union Law Minister Salman Khurshid on his controversial assurance to the electorate in Uttar Pradesh on minority quota, Congress spokesperson Rashid Alvi today said the union law minister was talking about developmental issues. PTI”] [/caption] Alvi, who is here for the campaign for the Mumbai municipal corporation election (to be held on 16 February) alleged that the civic body, currently under the control of Shiv Sena-BJP, had misused the funds given by the Centre. “Despite being in power for over the last 16-17 years, they could not develop the city,” he said, adding that central funds of Rs 26,000 crore were misused by the corporation. This time, he said, the citizens of Mumbai would vote for the development. “If we get the opportunity, we will definitely change the face of Mumbai,” he said. When asked why senior Congress leaders from the state, such as Vilasrao Deshmukh, Sushilkumar Shinde and Ashok Chavan (all former Chief Ministers) were not campaigning for Mumbai polls, Alvi refused to answer, saying it was “an internal matter” of the party. PTI