Sushma Swaraj BJP leader slams Congress over Muslim quota row

Slamming the Congress over a minority sub-quota row, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Sushma Swaraj has said the former had committed a crime by dividing the country on religious grounds.

"The Congress has committed the crime of sowing the seeds of a second partition. Our Constitution does not allow religious reservations. We have given reservations to the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes and the socially backward classes, but never religion-based reservations as it is not allowed," Swaraj told.

"This is because the fathers of our Constitution knew that religion-based reservations would divide the country on communal lines," Swaraj added.

BJP leader Rajnath Singh lashed out at Congress leaders for violating the Election Commission's code of conduct.

"I find it very disappointing that union ministers have the guts to challenge an institution like the Election Commission. The BJP stands against such behavior. They should respect the Election Commission because if their dignity is lowered intentionally, other constitutional institutions could face the same kind of threat," said Singh.

BJP leader's comments come after Union Steel Minister Beni Prasad Verma and Law Minister Salman Khurshid said that if the Congress were to form the next state government, they would raise the sub quota for Muslims to nine per cent within the 27 per cent reservation meant for Other Backward Classes.

War between Khurshid, EC reaches PM’s door

The war between Union Law Minister Salman Khurshid and Chief Election Commissioner SY Quraishi seems to be escalating with the latter writing a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh taking strong exception to the minister’s comment that the Commission came under the administrative control of the Law Ministry.

The sources said that Quraishi had written a letter to the Prime Minister about a fortnight ago saying the Law Minister was trying to undermine the EC by stating that "every institution is under some control".

Few days ago, the Law Minister had reportedly told a TV channel that the government possessed some sort of administrative control over the Election Commission (EC).

While Quraishi, when contacted by a news agency, refused to comment on his letter to the Prime minister, sources said the CEC had raised the matter conveying his disapproval of Khurshid's public comments against the constitutional body.

The Prime Minister has now replied to the CEC reiterating that no one could undermine the EC's independent and constitutional status, the sources said.

The latest incident follows the show-cause notice to Khurshid from the EC for “violating the model code of conduct” in Uttar Pradesh by promising sub-quota for minorities.

Meanwhile, Khurshid on Thursday submitted his reply to the EC on the notice served on him saying that he did not violate the code. The minister is learnt to have cited in his defence the 2009 Congress poll manifesto in which the party had promised to provide for a sub-quota for minorities.

Khurshid's reply to the EC notice is expected to be taken up today at a full meeting of the EC to be chaired by Quraishi and attended by the two Election commissioners VS Sampath and HS Brahma, besides other officials.

Holding prima facie his promise of 9 percent sub-quota for backward Muslims within existing 27 percent OBC quota as a "serious violation" of the model code of conduct, the Election Commission had on January 10 slapped a show-cause notice on Khurshid asking why action should not be taken against him.

Sources said Khurshid in his reply has cited the party's 2009 manifesto, where the Congress had said it has pioneered reservation for minorities in Kerala, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh in government employment and education on the basis of their social and economic backwardness.

Salman Khurshid in trouble over Muslim quota speech

The Election Commission is all set, sources say, to issue a notice to Law Minister Salman Khurshid for making an announcement on the Muslim quota during a campaign speech in election-bound Uttar Pradesh. The BJP met the commission this morning to complain against Mr Khurshid for what it called a "poll violation."

Sources said the panel would issue a notice and then await the Law Minister's response before taking a decision on further action. That action could be a reprimand, at most.

Mr Khurshid had, in a speech in Farrukhabad, where his wife  Louise Khurshid is contesting for the UP Assembly, said that the Congress would provide for 9 per cent reservation for backward Muslims in the state if voted to power.

The Congress-led UPA government announced a 4.5 per cent share for minorities within the existing 27 per cent reservation for other backward classes (OBCs) last month, just in time to beat the model code of conduct that set in with the announcement of the dates of elections in five states, including crucial Uttar Pradesh, which votes in seven phases beginning early February.

The Congress is strategically playing the Muslim card, with general secretary Rahul Gandhi attacking both BSP leader and Chief Minister Mayawati and Mulayam Singh Yadav of the Samajwadi Party at a rally in Ballia today, saying none of them had brought a quota for Muslims as the Congress did. Mr Gandhi next heads to Azamgarh, a Muslim stronghold.

The BJP has been crying foul saying the Congress' move to provide reservation for Muslims in Uttar Pradesh is "unconstitutional" and the party should be penalised for it.

BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said his party would not accept religion-based reservation. The Congress he said was indulging in "divide and rule" and the BJP would "not let its conspiracy against the poorest of poor backward people succeed."

Union Law Minister Khurshid: Anna should decide limits of agitation

Union Law Minister Salman Khurshid on Friday said all demands of Anna Hazare on Lokpal Bill "cannot be accepted" and the activist has to decide the "limits" of his exercise.

"We have included all good points (suggested by Team Anna) in the Lokpal Bill. But not everything they say we are in a position to accomodate because a lot of other people think differently," Khurshid told reporters on the sidelines of a conference 'Electoral Reforms in India - The Role of Intellectuals' here.

"Anna Hazare has a role to perform and it is a legitimate exercise, but he has to decide what the limits of exercise are," Khurshid said, adding that the government would not advise him on that front.

Asked whether he would appeal to Hazare to not go on fast from December 27, he replied that personally he would not do so, but would if the government takes a collective decision on the matter. "But there is no such decision taken by the government," he said.

Asked whether the Lokpal Bill undermined the autonomy of the CBI, Khurshid said the government and other investigation agencies, including the Lokpal, would not interfere in the probes conducted by the CBI.

"CBI also must know that they would not do all the investigation themselves, Lokpal would be free to give investigation to any other agency if they wished so," the minister clarified.

"I can assure you more than the CBI, the Law Ministry understands the integrity of the investigation. We have vetted it (Lokpal Bill) very carefully and I don't believe we have any problems with it," he added.

Replying to a question, Khurshid said if corruption is encouraged by elections, as alleged by Hazare, there are ways to contain it.

"We cannot sacrifice democracy at the altar of fight against corruption. We will have to find a combined and convergent method to strengthen democracy and weaken corruption," he said.

Khurshid also appealed to the BJP to play a constructive role in passing the Lokpal Bill in Parliament. "If there are differences between the parties, they must be sorted out," he said.

However, "arguing in front of the media and sharing space at the India Against Corruption platform" was not the best way to go about it, he said.

"They are very experienced leaders. I must not be telling them what should not be done," he said.

Reacting to the BJP charge that Congress "propped up" RJD chief Lalu Prasad for derailing the focus of the Lokpal Bill by welcoming reservation for minority quota, Khurshid said, "It will not be fair to say we have propped up or provoked him.

"Laluji is very strong in his opinions and sometimes they might help the government, but sometimes they might hurt," the minister said. "They are his opinions and I think we should respect everybody's opinions".

Asked about Congress leader Digvijay Singh's stance on attacking Team Anna, Khurshid said the party leader is "a warrior".

Union government set to announce Muslim reservation

In a bid to woo Muslims ahead of the Assembly Elections in five states, the Union government is set to announce reservation for the minorities on Today.

According to reports, the Union Cabinet will meet this evening to discuss the contentious issue and a decision is likely to be taken.

Sources claim that the UPA government is hurrying the decision over the issue in the wake of Assembly Elections in five states, the dates of which may be announced on December 23, after which the model code of conduct will come into effect prohibiting the government to make any announcements.

It should be noted that the contentious issue of Muslim reservation has been in constant limelight with the Congress leaders continuously indicating that the government is serious about the issue.

Earlier, Union Law Minister Salman Khurshid had announced that the government will bring the reservation for minorities soon.

Speaking at a public rally in Kanpur along with Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi, Khurshid had said, “Government is serious about bringing reservation for minorities. A decision in this regard will be taken soon.”

Maintaining that the government must fulfill the promises it made, Khurshid had earlier said, "We are elected to do what we promised. Before the five years are out, we must fulfill our promises."

Khurshid had said the government would soon take a decision on providing reservation for "backward Muslims" by including them in the 27 per cent OBC quota and a proposal in this regard would soon come up before Cabinet.

However, Khurshid has assured the OBC communities that they will not be deprived of their rights even if backward Muslims are accommodated in the 27 per cent quota fixed for them.

Union Cabinet to fine-tune Lokpal Bill today

The Union Cabinet is expected to consider Monday the much-awaited Lokpal Bill that is likely to bring Prime Minister under the proposed anti-graft ombudsman with certain conditions and provide for creation of an independent prosecution directorate.

The bill, which is expected to be tabled in Parliament before the end of the current session, is being fine-tuned by an informal group of ministers comprising Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Home Minister P Chidambaram, Law Minister Salman Khurshid and MoS Personnel V Narayanasamy.

The Cabinet, which met last night, saw some deliberations on the legislation but the detailed note on the subject is expected to formally come up before Cabinet meeting today, possibly in the evening.

Prior to that, the ministers concerned are expected to brief Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the changes being made in the Lokpal Bill, sources said.

While the bill will see incorporation of recommendations made by the Parliamentary Standing Committee which examined it, the government has made it clear that it was open to other ideas that emanated at the all-party meeting convened by the Prime Minister on Wednesday.

"You all know that how many days are left (for Parliament session). We have literally worked day and night to ensure that we meet the deadlines," Law Minister Salman Khurshid told reporters today.

"Let us just get the Bill done and bring it to the Cabinet so that it can be brought before Parliament as quickly as possible," he said amid the looming threat of Anna Hazare to go on hunger strike from December 27 if the legislation is not enacted by then.

Referring to the various proposals floating around, Khurshid said, "the Government is not taking up anything as outstanding view but fine-tuning keeping in mind the basic structure of the law... to ensure that we take public confidence with us because we are also determined and committed to a very powerful Lokpal Bill."

Notwithstanding the demands for bringing CBI under Lokpal, the government is averse to this and instead is contemplating a provision for creating an independent "Directorate of Prosecution", carving it out from CBI.

Accordingly, the Bill is likely to suggest that the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act be amended, sources said.

The bill is also expected to provide for removal of the Lokpal Chairman or member if a joint complaint is made by at least 100 MPs.

The legislation also is likely to provide for 50 per cent reservation to Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, OBCs, minorities and women in the Lokpal bench on the lines of demand raised by almost all the parties, except BJP, at Wednesday's meeting, the sources said.

With regard to demand for inclusion of Group 'C' employees, the sources said discussions are underway to create an "appropriate mechanism" for this.

One of the suggestions in this regard is placing them under the purview of the CVC who would be asked to report the progress on anti-corruption cases to Lokpal. The Parliamentary Committee had recommended reservation for SCs, STs, OBCs, minorities and women in the Search Committee which will assist the Selection Committee to select Lokpal. However, it was silent on reservation in the Lokpal.

If reservation is provided in the Lokpal panel, it will become the first Constitutional body to have the provision.

On the issue of PM, the Standing Committee had refused to take a position but recommended three options – inclusion without exception and qualifications, inclusion with no exclusionary caveats but after demitting office and inclusion with exclusions on issues like national security and foreign affairs and some others.

Making CBI, or its anti-corruption wing, a part of Lokpal still remains a contentious issue.

The Lokpal Bill introduced in the Lok Sabha in August this year says that "Lokpal shall constitute an Investigation Wing for the purpose of conducting investigation of any offence alleged to have been committed by a public servant punishable under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988."

Several parties, however, are insisting that CBI's anti-corruption wing should be under Lokpal to give it teeth. On the inclusion of group C employees under the ambit of Lokpal, one of the options with the government is recommendation of the Parliamentary Standing Committee which had recommended a "broad supervisory fusion at the apex level" by some changes in the CVC Act.

"The CVC should be made to file periodical reports, say every three months, to the Lokpal in respect of action taken for these class C and D categories.

"On these reports, the Lokpal shall be entitled to make comments and suggestions for improvement and strengthening the functioning of CVC, which in turn, shall file, appropriate action taken reports with the Lokpal," it had recommended. It had also recommended "appropriate increase" in the strength of the CVC manpower.