BJP charges government with brazenness on minority sub-quota issue

NEW DELHI: Charging the government with "brazenness" on the minority sub-quota issue, the BJP today said the Congress-led dispensation is playing "appeasement politics" and attempting to fool the people despite knowing well that the Constitution does not permit religion-based reservations.

"The Congress has repeatedly misled the people, particularly the minorities, by playing the reservation card, whilst all the while knowing that religion-based reservation is not envisaged by the makers of our Constitution," BJP spokesperson Nirmala Sitharaman said.

She alleged that there has been a "certain brazenness" about the way in which the Congress-led UPA alliance, and Law Minister Salman Khurshid in particular, have gone about "attempting to fool" the people.

The Supreme Court today refused to stay the verdict given by the Andhra Pradesh High Court which rejected the 4.5 per cent sub-quota within the 27 per cent quota reserved for the OBC category.

"Khurshid had said that the government is working out a legislation on religious lines... He knew that the matter is sub-judice. The Law Minister who is supposed to keep the law of the land dared the Election Commission in Farrukhabad (where his wife Louise was contesting the UP polls) by saying let the EC hang me, but I will come up with this legislation," Sitharaman said.

She maintained that the Congress should "stop fooling the people" in the name of religion-based reservations.

"Congress has played this game for too long... BJP demands that the Congress apologise to the people for the way it has played communal politics in the name of appeasing minorities to win votes and get power," she said.