New Delhi: Hours after Election Commissioner wrote a letter to President Pratibha Patil against Union Law Minister Salman Khurshid, the BJP on Sunday said that Khurshid was making fun of the integrity of the Election Commission. "It is an open violation of the code of conduct. It is unfortunate. It shows rebelliousness. Will Sonia Gandhi not speak up now? For the first time ever a minorities minister, who also happens to be the law minister, has challenged the EC. He has indulged in patent violation of the code of conduct," the party said.
On Saturday, the main Opposition party had said that Khurshid had no right to continue in the government. The party said that an 'unprecedented situation had been created' with the poll body constrained to seek intervention of the highest constitutional authority over Khurshid's repeated violation of the model code of conduct.
"We demand his immediate sacking from the Union Cabinet and ask the Prime Minister to clarify the stand of the government," BJP vice president Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi had said. Naqvi had earlier complained to the EC against Khurshid's defiance despite his censure by the poll body.
The Election Commission on Saturday sought the 'immediate and decisive' intervention of President after it charged Khurshid with 'improper and unlawful' defiance of its orders under which he was censured for promising sub-quota for minorities.
The move comes after Khurshid had dared the Election Commission to act against him over his comment on Muslim sub-quota. Khurshid had said, "They can hang me if they want, but I will continue to ask for reservations for pasmanda Muslims."
The Election Commission said that it was shocked that Khurshid chose to be defiant and aggressive.
Sources said that the President has forwarded the Election Commission's letter to the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) for appropriate action.
Sources in the Election Commission said that the commission even considered countermanding elections in Khurshid's wife's constituency Farrukhabad.
The Samajwadi Party (SP) reacting to the Election Commission's letter said, "Law Minister is trying to demolish the structure of the democracy."
BJP leader Sushma Swaraj on social networking site twitter said, "We request the President to withdraw her pleasure and dismiss Shri Salman Khurshid as a Minister of the Union Cabinet for acting against EC."
In a not-so-veiled attempt, Khurshid earlier took on the Election Commission in Farrukhabad.
"I don't have permission to talk about the rights of minorities. I was attacked for promising them their rights. They can hang me for standing up for the minorities," said the Congress leader.
BJP spokesperson Balbir Punj hit out at Khurshid saying it was unfortunate that a minister was undermining the authority of a constitutional body.
"It is really unfortunate that of all the people, the Law Minister of the country, Mr Salman Khurshid, is not only challenging the authority of the Election Commission of India but also undermining its authority," said Punj.
In its letter, Chief Election Commissioner SY Quraishi wrote, "The Commission is approaching you with serious dismay and a deep sense of urgency that requires your kind intervention in the midst of the poll process in the state of Uttar Pradesh. The Union Minister for Law and Justice and Minority Affairs, Salman Khurshid, who is also a leader of the Indian National Congress Party, had made certain statements and announcements during the course of his campaign in the state. One of them was to the effect that the Congress would provide a quota of 9 per cent reservation to the minorities within the existing quota of 27 per cent for OBCs. He also indicated that Muslims having a sizeable population will be benefited from this move. Following complaints received from a political party that such announcement was a violation of the Model Code of Conduct, the Commission, after due notice and hearing, passed an order on February, 9, 2012 that Khurshid had indeed violated the MCC. The full Commission hence deliberated on the matter in an emergency meeting, this afternoon, while being concerned about the fact that Khurshid’s action could vitiate free and fair poll in Uttar Pradesh."
Never before has the Election Commission sought Presidential intervention to rein in a Union Minister in the middle of a crucial election and the Election Commission's decision is bound to embarrass the government and the Congress.
Khurshid, while campaigning for his wife Louise, who is a Congress candidate from Farrukhabad Assembly constituency in Uttar Pradesh, had promised the electorate last month that the party would increase the sub-quota for minorities to nine per cent, out of the 27 per cent Other Backward Classes (OBC) reservation.
With Additional Inputs From PTI
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