CPI-M welcomes Election Commission's complaint against Salman Khurshid

Allahabad, Feb 12 (ANI): Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) leader Prakash Karat on Sunday hailed the Election Commission's decision to slap notice on Union Law Minister Salman Khurshid for violating the model code of conduct by promoting minority reservation issue during the elections.

Karat said that the decision taken by the Election Commission against Salman Khurshid was absolutely fair, and hence he has to abide with whatever comes on his way.

"As a Central Minister, whatever he said is against the Model Code of Conduct and in that regard whatever step the Election Commission has taken is absolutely right. Whatever investigation will be done in this case, Salman Khurshid as a federal minister has to abide it," he told the media here.

Karat further said Khurshid's strategy of winning the elections in Uttar Pradesh by promoting minority reservation during his rallies was absolutely wrong and against the elections code of conduct.

"See, if we talk about his strategy for the reservation, he has already announced it that 4.5 percent of reservation will be given to minorities, this announcement he has made it earlier and talking about more reservation is not right during elections," he said.

The Election Commission last night sought the "immediate and decisive" intervention of President Pratibha Devisingh Patil after it charged n Khurshid with "improper and unlawful" defiance of its orders under which he was censured for promising sub-quota for minorities.

The Election Commission had earlier censured Khurshid for his remarks on sub-quota for minorities, and said he violated the election code of conduct. (ANI)