The Election Commission had charged Law & Minority Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid with violating the model code of conduct by promising a 9% quota to the minorities in the run-up to the UP elections. Khurshid is reported to have toned down his attitude to the EC. Earlier he had even dared the EC to act against him and so the Commission petitioned the President. The EC is a constitutional body and deserves to be held in the highest esteem. That is all the more so on the part of Salman Khurshid who is in charge of the Law portfolio. It may be that he had misunderstood the election code. But on matters of interpretation, the EC has the last word in order to ensure free and fair elections.
Khurshid is an erudite person and should have shown special allegiance to the letter and spirit of the moral code. As Law Minister, he should have been a firm upholder of the code of conduct. The Commission has been doing a good job in eliminating money and muscle power from the holding of polls. The model code puts a necessary curb on excesses of political parties and candidates during election campaigns. The EC is an exception to many other institutions which have lost credibility due to inefficiency and corruption. It has decidedly improved the conduct of elections. To try to undermine it is a blow to Indian democracy. It is surprising that Khurshid took such a belligerent attitude. What is encouraging is that he has told the Prime Minister that he meant no disrespect to the Commission though he stood by his support to the 9% quota for the minorities.