EC-censured Salman Khurshid should resign: BJP

BJP on Thursday night demanded the resignation of Law Minister Salman Khurshid, who was censured by the Election Commission for violating the model code of conduct, and asked the Prime Minister to clarify his stand on the issue of sub-quota for minorities.

"This verdict from EC is sufficient to demand resignation of Salman Khurshid from government. It also demands that the Prime Minister must clarify his stand on this unconstitutional announcement made by his Law Minister to give religion-based reservation to minorities, especially Muslims," BJP Vice President Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said.

Khurshid, while campaigning for his wife Louise, a Congress candidate from Farrukhabad assembly constituency in UP, had announced that his party would increase the sub-quota for minorities to nine per cent, out of the 27 per cent Other Backward Classes (OBC) reservation.

"This was an unconstitutional announcement made by a person sitting on constitutional post and it clearly shows that Congress still believes in divide and rule policy for political gains," Naqvi said.

The BJP leader said "Khurshid had tried to destroy the social harmony and fabric of the country and Uttar Pradesh for political gains."