Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Monday said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh should take appropriate decision on the issue of Union Law Minister Salman Khurshid’s controversial comments on quota for minorities in the wake of Election Commission’s strictures against the Minister.
“It is the work of the PM to control his minister... and if the Election Commission is convinced that its constitutional order has been violated then the Commission should adopt a strict posture”, Mr. Kumar told reporters when approached for his comment as to whether he favours removal of Mr. Khurshid.
“The Congress has always been advocating that it respects the constitutional institutions and the party minister is openly violating it... and it reflects that the party and its government is not serious on the Salman Khurshid issue”, he said.
“Salman’s flagarant violation of EC’s directive is a very very serious issue”, Mr. Kumar said adding “the Prime Minister and Election Commission held the key for paving the way to a solution of the impasse,” the Chief Minister said.
He castigated the Congress-led government at the Centre for its stand on reservation for minorities.
“Earlier the Congress spoke about giving reservation for minorities... and now its minister is speaking about reservation for Muslims”, Chief Minister said and alleged that it was aimed at influencing the UP assembly elections.
“The Centre should provide reservation for OBC on the pattern of Bihar”, Mr. Kumar said.
Congress has always been opposed to reservation right since inception, the Chief Minister claimed.
He alleged that even when the recommendations of the Mandal Commission were being debated in the Lok Sabha, the then leader of opposition and former Prime Minister Late Rajiv Gandhi had opposed it.
“Let the extremely backwards be given reservation under Annexure I and other backwards under Annexure II... and Bihar has implemented it by enacting a legislation and not through an ordinance or decree”, he said.
“We want that Bihar model of reservation be implemented by the Centre,” Mr. Kumar said adding, “We have provisions for quota for Muslims within the quota for OBCs under Annexure I and Annexure II“.
If the Centre or the Congress wanted to give new reservation for minorities, it should come forward with the proposal for a fresh reservation policy and give them the facility separately and we will support it, he said.
