Faizabad, Jan 14 (ANI): Justifying Salman Khurshid's statement promising minority reservation of 4.5 percent included within the existing 27 percent OBCs, Coal Minister Sriprakash Jaiswal has said that declaring the reservation on the basis of new census is not illegal and as such the Law Minister has not violated the moral code of conduct by proclaiming it.
Talking to reporters here on Friday, Jaiswal said though the Election Commission of India is not against the reservation quota, but has asked the government to put this proposal on hold till the completion of elections.
"The census of 1931 identified a reservation quota of 4.5 percent for Muslims and that was given to them. However, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has specified that the implementation of reservation would take place only after the polls. We are ready to abide by the directive of the ECI but Salman Khurshid has said that the Lok Sabha had decided to undertake a caste and religion based census. Hence, to declare that we would be giving reservation on the basis of results of the new census is not illegal, neither is it a violation of the moral code of conduct," Jaiswal added.
On Monday, Khurshid had promised to reserve 4.5 percent for minorities bracketed under other backward classes, if his party is elected in Uttar Pradesh assembly elections.
Following the statement by Khurshid , the BJP has been criticising the Congress party for announcing such assurances of increase in Muslim reservation right ahead of the polls. (ANI)
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