Congress pulls up Khurshid, to issue clarification on EC row

New Delhi: The Congress has reportedly pulled up Law Minister Salman Khurshid for taking on the Election Commission saying it expected its leaders to respect and work within parameters of the Constitution and institutions. Sources told CNN-IBN that the government or the Law Minister was expected to issue a clarification saying that he never meant to show any disrespect to the EC, that he valued the Commission as an institution and that his promise of a sub-quota for Muslims was a policy decision that had nothing to do with the elections in Uttar Pradesh. Khurshid is even expected to tender an apology to the EC.

Said Congress General Secretary Janardhan Dwivedi, "The EC is a constitutional body. We want all Congress people to speak within the rules of the public life and the law of the land."

Chief Election Commissioner SY Quraishi had written a letter to the President on Saturday saying that Khurshid violated the model code of conduct by offering Muslims a sub-quota at his recent election rally in Farroukhabad. Quraishi also said that the senior Congress leader had been dismissive and utterly contemptuous in his tone and tenor while talking about the EC during the rally.

The President has sent that letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. The Prime Minister is expected to ask Khurshid to explain his stand.

Sources in the EC told CNN-IBN that the EC had considered countermanding elections in Farroukhabad, which is the constituency of Khurshid's wife.

Khurshid recently said at an election rally in Farroukhabad, "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." The "daring" comments drew the ire of the EC.

Meanwhile, Congress General Secretary Digvijaya Singh batted for his colleague, saying, "Every political party has a right to bring up their own agendas in an election manifesto. So, I feel that speaking against any political leader in such a manner is inappropriate."

However, BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad said, "Salman's statement is an open violation of the model code of conduct. It is demeaning a constitutional body. Will the Prime Minister and Sonia now act? It's an unprecedented constitutional crises. Salman knows the law. He was censured by the EC, yet he is saying that he will continue to do so."

Senior lawyer Ram Jethmalani, meanwhile, questioned why the EC did not act against Salman Khurshid but instead chose to complain to the President.

"This is a useless action. The President has no power of any kind, and even if the President had any power, this President would not advise it. So it is a useless thing to do. The Election Commission has got its own powers which it can exercise fearlessly, but they also don't wish to take on a minister and are appealing to the President. This is a totally fruitless activity... It is the PM who takes action against the minister by threatening to dismiss him."

Former CEC Krishnamurti, however, lashed out at the critics saying the Election Commission had the right to write to the President and that they were doing well.

"He should be cancelled for campaigning and postpone the elections in the state. It should be viewed very seriously," he said.

Meanwhile BJP leader Sushma Swaraj called on the Prime Minister to sack Khurshid.

The unanswered questions:

The raging controversy has raised some big questions:

- Did Khurshid make the Muslim sub-quota remark because the Congress desperation for Muslim vote has grown in UP?

- Was it because khurshid's wife is facing a tough fight in Farroukhabad?

- Why has the Government stayed silent on his remarks?

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