A day after the Election Commission served notice to Union Minority Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid for promising 9 percent sub-quota for minorities during a poll meeting in Uttar Pradesh, the Congress party said that issue can be included in its manifesto for the ensuing Assembly elections in the state.

“The issue can find a mention in the Manifesto for UP,” a senior party leader associated with the poll preparation in the state said.

Khurshid, who is also the Union Law Minister heads the party’s Manifesto Drafting Committee for UP with Rita Bahuguna Joshi, P L Punia, Sanjay Singh, Jairam Ramesh among others as members.

Earlier in the day, Khurshid, while defending himself in Bareilly town of Uttar Pradesh, asserted that he has “not violated the model code of conduct. I have a right to put forth my view. It should reach the people.”

“It means that we should not bring out a manifesto, not deliver a speech and sit back at home and elections should be held without all these,” he asked.

“The Sachar Committee and the Ranganath Misra Commission have recommended 8.5 per cent quota for Muslims. What is wrong if I talk about nine per cent reservation for them,” he said.

Khurshid further opined that Muslims constitute 17 per cent to 18 per cent of the total population against which reservation of only 9 per cent was being talked about.