Comments on quota governance issue, Khurshid on EC row, Cong distances
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Congress today sought to put a lid on all controversial statements made by party leaders during poll campaigning in Uttar Pradesh by virtually snubbing Law Minister Salman Khurshid over his remarks on sub quota after the Election Commission's censure.
Party general secretary Janardan Dwivedi's assertion that Congress always wants partymen to speak as per 'norms of public life' and the 'law of the land' comes at a time when a number of senior Congress leaders in Uttar Pradesh have made statements which did not go down well with party leadership.
But the Salman Khurshid heat continues with the minister dodging direct blame and justifying his 'reservation' remarks.
Having landed himself in deep trouble with the Election Commission, Khurshid today argued that his controversial comments on quota for minorities was an issue of governance and did not relate to polls even as the Congress virtually disapproved of the statement.
Khurshid's remarks which led the Election Commission to censure him triggered a demand from BJP for his dismissal from the Union Cabinet with a comment that the 'Law Minister has become the main law breaker' and that Congress was trying to 'communalise' polls.
The issue has nothing to do with elections and it's an issue of governance, Khurshid said about his comments on sub quota for Muslims during the campaign for the ongoing elections in Uttar Pradesh.
Khurshid told reporters he has only said what is there in the Congress manifesto and that the Election Commission is perfectly entitled to what it has done.
Tears and heat
Khurshid's earlier statement in Azamgarh that party chief Sonia Gandhi was in 'tears' when she saw the photograph of Batla House encounter also did not find any takers in AICC, which feels the name of Gandhi family should not be dragged into controversies unnecessarily.
Sources in the party said it was not approporiate to drag the family name this way into such sensitive issues. While party general secretary in charge of Uttar Pradesh Digvijay Singh rebutted Khurshid's claim over the Batla issue saying: "Soniaji never cried. These are Salman Khurshid's words," party spokesperson Renuka Chowdhary insisted Khurshid had said something else which was interpreted differently.
Asked whether Congress was distancing from the Minister's statement, Chowdhary retorted: "We are neither distancing nor endorsing."
Khurshid also later clarified saying what he actually meant was that Gandhi had become 'emotional' at seeing those photographs.
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