Congress leader and Steel Minister Beni Prasad Verma has reignited the row over reservations for minorities in Uttar Pradesh by promising sub-quotas for Muslims if the party was voted to power in the state.
Addressing a political rally at Kayamganj assembly constituency in Farrukhabad district on Wednesday, Verma said: "Muslims don't have their homes; they don't have jobs and 70 per cent of them work as labourers. Non-Congress governments in the state have not done anything for their betterment.
"We will make sure that quotas for them is increased if the Congress comes to power in Uttar Pradesh," he said.
Verma's remarks come two days after Law Minister Salman Khurshid apologized to the Election Commission, regretting his remarks on sub-quota for backward sections of minorities in Uttar Pradesh, where elections are going on.
"I said in Farrukhabad that Muslims have not got their due and the central government has made a reservation of 4.5 per cent for them and it needs to be increased. If Election Commission serves me a notice I will reply to it," Prasad told Times Now.
Addressing a press conference in Lucknow, Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh said: "There is nothing wrong in what he (Verma) has said as increasing quota for Muslims is part of the Congress manifesto.
"Talking about things in party's manifesto is not a violation of election model code of conduct," he added.