Comments on quota governance issue, Khurshid on EC row, Congress distances

New Delhi/Lucknow: Having landed himself in deep trouble with the Election Commission, Union Law Minister Salman Khurshid on Sunday argued that his controversial comments on quota for minorities was an issue of governance and did not relate to polls even as the Congress virtually disapproved of the statement.

Khurshid's remarks which led the Election Commission to censure him triggered a demand from BJP for his dismissal from the Union Cabinet with a comment that the "Law Minister has become the main law breaker" and that Congress was trying to "communalise" polls.

The issue has nothing to do with elections and it's an issue of governance, Khurshid said about his comments on sub quota for Muslims during the campaign for the ongoing elections in Uttar Pradesh.

Khurshid told reporters he has only said what is there in the Congress manifesto and that the Election Commission is perfectly entitled to what it has done.

In an unprecedented action, the EC yesterday sought the "immediate and decisive" intervention of President Pratibha Patil after it charged Khurshid with "improper and unlawful" defiance of its orders under which he was censured for promising sub-quota for minorities.

The Congress while distancing itself from Khurshid's remarks said the party always wants its leaders to speak as per the norms of public life and law of the land.

"The Election Commission is a constitutional body. Congress always wants that all Congressmen should speak as per the norms of public life and the law of the land," AICC General Secretary and media department Chairman Janardan Dwivedi said in a statement.

When asked to comment on Dwivedi's remarks, Khurshid said ,"Hum bhi to yahi keh rahe hain...Sabko apne dayre me rahna chahiye", (I am saying the same thing...Everyone should remain in his limits".

Congress leader Digvijay Singh defended Khurshid, saying every political party has the right to talk about their programmes during election campaigns and it was not correct to press charges like these against political leaders.