Quota promise not 'lolly pop' to get votes in UP: Khurshid

May 16, 2012 19:26

Asserting that decision to earmark 4.5 per cent sub-quota for minorities in government jobs was not a "lolly pop" to gain votes in Uttar Pradesh, Minority Affairs Minister Salman Kurshid today said the government was committed to all round development of backwards.

"No, it was not a lolly pop to gain votes of minorities in Uttar Pradesh," Kurshid said in Rajya Sabha. Kurshid, who had kicked up a controversy during campaign for UP polls when he talked about raising this sub-quota for minorities within the OBC quota from 4.5 to 9 per cent and for which he was reprimanded by the Election Commission, said the decision was based on recommendations of various committees.

Ranganath Misra Committee and Rajinder Sachar Committee had identified 8.44 per cent population among minorities as backward. "Half of this would have been 4.2 per cent but we decided to round off the figure and made it 4.5 per cent," he said giving rationale behind fixation of 4.5 per cent sub-quota in government jobs for minorities.

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