New Delhi: In a rap on the Government's knuckles, the Election Commission today (Oct 7, 2004) rejected Centre's stand on the setting up of a Commission to look into reservation for minorities holding that it gives an impression of "influencing some sections of the electorate".

The decision of the Government for the setting up of the National Commission for the Welfare of Socially and Economically Backward sections among Religious and Linguistic Minorities "at this juncture when elections are being held in two States of the country gives the impression of being aimed at influencing some sections of the electorate", the Commission said in a communication to the Cabinet Secretary.

"The Commission is emphatically of the view that the decision on the constitution of the Commission should also have been deferred till the date of poll, Oct 13, 2004, the Commission said.

It observed that the Government had sought the Commission's views on the issue of changing the policy on subsidy for Haj travel and decided to defer it.

The issue of setting up a National Commission had the "same potential for influencing a section of the voters but the matter was not referred to the Election Commission for its views", it regretted.

"The Commission hopes that such lapses would be avoided in future", it said.