Cong leader for greater representation to the minority comm
Press Trust of India / New Delhi Jun 06, 2009, 17:03 IST
A senior Congress leader today made a pitch for greater representation to the minority community in the Union Cabinet in view of the shift of the Muslim vote to the party in Uttar Pradesh.
"One of the reasons for our party's resurgence in Uttar Pradesh has been the shift of Muslim vote in our favour and if we have to sustain this, greater representation of this community is necessary," Congress leader Anil Shastri said in a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
Noting that the choice of ministers could not have been better, he, however said at present there were only two ministers from Congress Ghulam Nabi Azad and Salman Khurshid who belong to the minority community.
Shastri, who is a special invitee of the CWC, said it is also "surprising" that Chhattisgarh having sent a lone MP in Charan Das Mahant has not been represented in the ministry.
Shastri said that inclusion of Mahant, who belong to the backward community, would have sent the right message in that state. "Himachal Pradesh, a much smaller state having sent one MP to the Lok Sabha, has two Cabinet Ministers".
This 'thoughtful and insightful wisdom' of Sri Anil Shastri goes on to prove that administrative acumen is still not a criteria for selection as a minister in Government in Indian politics. It is just a matter of belonging to the 'right' caste or community, that is all.
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