EC reprimands Khurshid over quota remarks

The Election Commission on Thursday reprimanded Union Minister for Law and Minority Affairs Salman Khurshid for his remarks promising reservation for minorities finding them to be a “violation of the model code of conduct” for elections.

Addressing a poll meeting while campaigning for his wife Louise, a Congress candidate from Farrukhabad assembly constituency in Uttar Pradesh, Khurshid promised the electorate that the party would increase the sub-quota for minorities to nine per cent within 27 per cent OBC reservation, if it comes to power.

Order of the poll body has come on the complaint filed by BJP about Khurshid's remarks, asking the Commission to take action against him for violation of the model code of conduct.

The poll panel - comprising of Chief Election Commissioner S Y Quraishi and Election Commissioners V S Sampath and H S Brahma, held that Khurshid had violated the model code of conduct and hoped and expected he would not repeat such violations.

“The Commission hereby censures Shri Salman Khurshid and hopes and expects that such violations of the model code of conduct would not be repeated by him in future,” said the EC order in its 15-page order.

The order further said asserted that “Salman Khurshid has violated the model code of conduct by making the promise. The Commission, therefore, cannot help expressing its deep anguish and disappointment over his violation of model code of conduct.”