UNI

New Delhi, Jun 12: The Congress on Monday said Union Minister Meira Kumar's suggestion for a higher percentage of reservation to the Scheduled Castes was just an inter-ministerial proposal, but the issue calls for widest possible consultations before it comes to a decision-making stage.

"This is an issue of national implication but until the proposal comes before a Cabinet and reaches a decision-making stage, the Congress would not comment on it," Congress Spokesman Abhishek Singhvi said and hoped that the widest possible consulations would precede any decision if at all it was taken. Not only the Congress but other political parties would also be consulted if it came to taking a decision.

He told reporters here that many proposals were circulated from one Ministry to the other, but it did not mean that policy decisions were taken necessarily on those proposals. "It will go through all the stages,'' he said. Replying to a question, he said if the proposal was unconstitutional and yet a decision was taken, it would be struck down by the Supreme Court.

Denying that there was any prompting from the Congress that led Miera Kumar to raise the issue, Mr Singhvi said "There is no question of any prompting. The Congress has neither considered the issue nor taken any decisison." Refusing to comment further, the Spokesman said when there was not even a beginning to taking a decison, why should the party comment on it. "Let us not go into speculation" he said.