New Delhi: Rejecting the contention that the
Election Commission`s ordering a hold the 4.5 per cent
sub-quota for minorities in 5 poll-bound states was a
"setback", Home Minister P Chidambaram on Thursday said the
notification will remain operative for appointments and
admissions made this year.
He said there was "nothing wrong" with the notification
as it was made well before the model code of conduct went into
force.
The Home Minister, however, declined to comment on Law
Minister Salman Khurshid`s announcement of Congress party`s
intent to give 9 percent reservation to minorities in Uttar
Pradesh if the party came to power.
"No. I may not agree with a decision but it is not a
setback...it is being put on hold for the period of elections
that can only be untill the 6th of March. This notification
came into force for recruitment in 2012.
"And even admissions and appointments are made under the
new 4.5 percent out of 27 percent. That process will not be
completed by 6th of March. By the time admissions are made or
appointments are made, 6th of March will be behind us and
therefore the notification will operate in admissions made and
appointments made in 2012," Chidambaram told reporters here.
The Home Minister found nothing wrong in the decision
taken by the union cabinet two days before the election
schedule for the 5 states was announced and the code of
conduct came into force.
"The notification was made well before the election
programmes announced and well before the code of conduct came
into force. Therefore, there was nothing wrong with the
notification," Chidambaram said.
Asked why the decision was taken on the eve of elections,
he asked how does he know when the announcement for elections
is coming. The election schedule was annoucned two days after
the decision was taken.
PTI
