Notice to Khurshid's wife for his Muslim quota promise

The Uttar Pradesh election authorities have served a show-cause notice on Congress nominee from Farrukhabad Louise Khurshid over her husband Law minister Salman Khurshid’s promise to voters of granting nine per cent sub-quota for backward Muslims in the state if voted to power. The Law minister while campaigning for his wife Louise in Farrukhabad yesterday had promised to the electorate that if Congress was voted to power in the state it would enhance the sub-quota to Muslims to 9 per cent within the 27 per cent quota for Other Backward Classes (OBCs). Taking cognisance of the Law minister’s promises, the state Election Office served a show-cause to his wife to explain within three days the statements made by her husband while campaigning in her favour. Farrukhabad District Electoral Officer Sachchidanand Dubey said that “a show cause notice has been served on Louise Khurshid  by the Returning Officer for Farrukhabad assembly constituency Ashok Kumar Lal”. [caption id=“attachment_178132” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“PTI”] [/caption] Taking strong exception to the Law Minister’s statement on sub-quota for muslims and terming it as a “violation” of the election model code of conduct, a delegation of BJP leaders had also met Chief Election Commissioner SY Quraishi in Delhi and sought action. Khurshid had said the Congress would provide nine per cent reservation for backward Muslims within the existing OBC quota in UP in the event of the party forming the government in the state. He said more than eight castes such as Mansoori and Qureshi would benefit from such a move. He had also reminded the voters that the UPA government at the Centre had already taken a decision to provide 4.5 per cent reservation for minorities within the existing 27 per cent OBC quota. The vociferous opposition to quota for minorities is part of the BJP’s overtures to the OBC. The party had inducted tainted former Cabinet minister in Mayawati’s government, Babu Singh Kushwaha with the aim of winning the OBC voters of Kushwaha, Maurya, Koeri and Kacchi communities. BJP also rebutted Kurshid’s comments that a party has a right to issue a manifesto and hence there was nothing wrong in his declaration. “When a manifesto is issued a copy of it is submitted to the Election Commission which vets and approves it. Only then can it be released. Till now Congress has not submitted its manifesto. Hence this is a clear-cut violation of the code of conduct,” Naqvi said. He alleged that this was an unconstitutional announcement which was part of a criminal conspiracy to destroy the social fabric and harmony of the country. “This statement has been made by a senior minister of the government… The Congress is trying to show itself as a champion of the minorities. But this will only create divisions and is against the nation’s interest,” Naqvi said. BJP described this as a “political gimmick”. “Were the Muslims not included in the 27 per cent reservation for OBCs? Were they not benefitting from this? What was the need to away the share of the OBCs?” Naqvi asked.  The right-wing party maintained that the “reservation for minorities” chorus of BSP and SP was the same as that of the Congress. It insisted that these parties will never say minorities should not be given reservation from within the OBC share. PTI