Questioning the PMO’s “silence” on the controversy involving Law Minister Salman Kurshid, the BJP on Monday said the Prime Minister should sack the minister without delay as he is still unrepentant.
“Practically, even after a week Salman Kurshid is unrepentant and is actually defiant. This is an example of votebank politics, communal politics, corrupt politics that denigrates all constitutional authority,” BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar said, adding the episode had “fully exposed” the Congress.
The BJP demanded that Mr. Khurshid resign immediately and if he fails to do so, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh should sack him forthwith.
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“Kurshid cannot continue as Law Minister and make a mockery of law. We will continue to oppose this vociferously,” Mr. Javadekar said.
The opposition party also took a dig at the Prime Minister’s Office for “not taking action against erring ministers“.
“The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) is in silent mode. It kept defending A Raja and Dayanidhi Maran for as long as one year.
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“It is now protecting Home Minister P Chidambaram,” Mr. Javadekar said.
Condemning the utterances of Mr. Khurshid and his “adamant” attitude, the BJP said, “Nobody expects that Congress will do any justice.. .. It has insulted the constitutional bodies.
Congress is playing dirty politics for political gains.”
The BJP insisted that if Khurshid feels so strongly about the reservation issue, he should quit the Union Cabinet and then raise the issue.
"A lawless Minister"
Lashing out at Union Law Minister Salman Khurshid for his spat with the EC over the issue of quota for minorities, BJP President Nitin Gadkari on Monday termed him as a “lawless” Minister.
“He (Khurshid) is not the Law minister but lawless minister,” Mr. Gadkari told an addressing an election meeting in Chandauli, Uttar Pradesh.
He also blamed Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for not sacking the minister.
Mr. Khurshid had told an election meeting in Uttar Pradesh on Friday that he would continue to ensure reservation for backward Muslims even if the Election Commission “hangs” him.
He had earlier been censured for the same statement made on January 8 while campaigning in the state, with EC holding it as violative of the Model Code.
On Parliament attack accused Afzal Guru, Mr. Gadkari said that despite Supreme Court’s decision to hang him, the Centre was not acting.
By not doing so, the Congress party is protecting terrorists in the country, he alleged.
Mr. Gadkari said that in order to secure their minority vote-bank, Congress and SP repeatedly raked up the Batla encounter issue