SC order on quota no set-back to Cong: Sibal

Lucknow, Mar 29 (UNI) Union minister and AICC convenor (media management) Kapil Sibal today said the Supreme Court stay order on quota in institutions of higher learning was only an interim order and not a setback to the Congress.

Talking to newspersons here tonight, Mr Sibal said the final hearing in the case was slated for August and it was only an interim order.

Denying to elaborate further, he said any comment could be made only after going through the SC order copy.

''The decision on the quota was a unanimous decision of Parliament and all the political parties were involved. If at all it is a setback, it is for everyone,'' he noted.

On the BJP's demand that the Centre file a review peition in the case, Mr Sibal said review petitions were not filed in interim orders.

Meanwhile, he informed that the Congress would issue its election manifesto for the UP polls on March 31.

''We will surprise everyone in the poll results, like we did in the 2004 general election,'' he asserted.

Talking of opinion polls, Mr Sibal, who is also a prominent Supreme Court lawyer, maintained the party gave no credence to them.

He said the Congress today handed over a memorandum to the EC in New Delhi signed by Moti Lal Vohra, AICC treasurer, charging the ruling Samajwadi Party in UP led by Mulayam Singh Yadav with ''adjusting the state bureaucracy as per its requirement''.

Replying to a poser, he said campaigning by Priyanka Vadra Gandhi in UP was not a ''sign of desperation'' for the Congress.

''All leaders engage in such campaigning. Her canvassing schedule would be drafted later...whether she campaigns at Rae Bareli or not cannot be forecast now.'' UNI