"Today when elections are round the corner in Uttar Pradesh, Yadav is making such statements to mislead Muslims," Rashid Alvi said.
Congress Wednesday accused Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav of "misleading" Muslims on the issue of reservation with an eye on Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh.
Reacting to Yadav's reported statements that Muslims should be given reservation separately and not in 27 per cent OBC quota, party spokesperson Rashid Alvi questioned why he did not make any such proposal when he was a Union Minister.
"Today when elections are round the corner in Uttar Pradesh, Yadav is making such statements to mislead Muslims," Alvi said.
Yadav yesterday accused the Centre of not being serious about providing reservation to Muslims and demanded immediate implementation of recommendations of the committees headed by Rajendra Sachar and Rangnath Misra in this regard.
The Samajwadi Party chief's comments had come against the backdrop of Union Law Minister Salman Khurshid stating that the Centre was studying various models for providing quota within quota to the community.
However, Congress is treading cautiously on the issue of reservation to Muslims. To repeated questions on the issue, Alvi merely said his party is committed to all promises made in its manifesto released during the 2009 Lok Sabha elections.
The manfiesto had said, "Congress has pioneered reservations for minorities in Kerala, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh in government employment and education on the basis of their social and economic backwardness. We are committed to adopt this policy at the national level."
Congress is targeting big in Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections hoping for a repeat of groundswell in minorities' support witnessed during 2009 Lok Sabha elections but a leader in the party said any over enthusiastic approach on separate reservation for Muslims could actually end up benefitting BJP on communal lines.
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