No deadline for implementing Misra report: Congress

The Congress on Friday said there was no deadline for implementation of the Ranganath Misra Commission recommendations, which include 10 per cent reservation for Muslims and five per cent for other minorities

Responding to queries whether the government would speed up the implementation, in the wake of the Supreme Court upholding the Andhra Pradesh government's decision of reservation for backward Muslims, party spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi said there was no timeline or deadline.

“We have initiated the process and we will take it to its logical conclusion,” he said, adding the Congress believed there was a case for reservation for backward classes across the board, including Muslims. Those who opposed it only exposed their communal agenda.

‘Significant ruling'

Seeking to disassociate the court ruling in the Andhra Pradesh case from the Commission's recommendations, Mr. Singhvi said it was an interim order and one would have to wait until a Constitution Bench gave its final ruling. “It is a significant ruling though.”

Mr. Singhvi said the court might or might not take inputs from the Commission recommendations when deciding on the case.

Meanwhile, there is a serious consideration within the Congress on going slow on the implementation of the Commission recommendations and waiting for the Constitution Bench's final order. A senior functionary said it would make sense to wait for the court's final order on whether reservation could be given on the basis of religion or just backwardness, rather than initiating the implementation.