Khurshid defends Verma on minority quota remark

Farukhabad: Union Law Minister Salman Khurshid on Saturday defended his Cabinet colleague Beni Prasad Verma for his minority sub-quota remarks, saying he had made the comments as a Congress leader and not as a minister.

"Whatever Beni said was in his capacity as Congress leader and not as a minister. He made his comments on party manifesto, which mentions the reservation issue," he told reporters in Farukhabad.

Elections are fought on the basis of party manifesto and if it is not talked about what else one would say, Khurshid asked.

"Reservation for Muslims will be increased and if the EC wants, it can now issue a notice to me," Verma recently said at a rally in Kaimganj, triggering a controversy.