UP Polls: Khurshid under BJP radar; demands his resignation

New Delhi, Feb 12: The major political party BJP on Sunday, Feb 12, has demanded the resignation of Union Law Minister Salman Khurshid after Election Commission complained to President Pratibha Patil over Khurshid’s defiant stand on Muslim quota in Uttar Pradesh.

In the letter, SY Quraishi, chief election commissioner wrote to take "immediate and decisive intervention" over his defiant stand.

While President Pratibha Patil has forwarded the letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for "appropriate action".

"It is very sad. The Prime Minister must sack Khurshid immediately," Balbir Punj, BJP leader Balbir Punj said that Khurshid was trying to destroy the Poll panel authority's work with his remarks.

"We request the President to withdraw her pleasure and dismiss Shri Salman Khurshid as a Minister of the Union Cabinet for acting against EC," Sushma Swaraj, senior BJP leader tweeted.

"The commission is perturbed because the undermining of its constitutionally-mandated duties has come from the Law Minister who has a direct responsibility to uphold and strengthen the ECI rather than to denigrate it.

The Commission is quite concerned that the delicate balance of functions between constitutional authorities has come under a strain, because of the minister's improper and unlawful action," Quraishi said in his letter.

"In fact, the Union minister goes on to say that he would stick to his line, 'even if they hang me'. We have found the tone and tenor of the Union minister dismissive and utterly contemptuous about the Commission's lawful direction to him, besides the fact that his action is damaging the level playing field in the election," he added.

"The commission is shocked that instead of being remorseful about the violation of the Model Code, that carries the consensus of all political parties and the sanction of the Supreme Court, the minister has chosen to be defiant and aggressive. This is unprecedented."

OneIndia News