New Delhi: Congress today dismissed suggestions that government moves to explore possibility of reservation for minorities in educational institutions and government jobs was "appeasement of minorities."

AICC media department chairman M Veerappa Moily told reporters that there was nothing wrong in the proposal given the fact that a section of minorities was worse off and their condition was like that of the scheduled castes.

A former Chief Minister of Karnataka, Moily said that during his stewardship he had ensured reservation for minorities in the state. In Congress-ruled Andhra Pradesh, there has also been such a scheme which has faced some "technical problems".

He said that when Constitution was being framed there was a draft Article 296 providing reservation to minorities, but it was given up following the Partition. Addressing a conference of the State Minorities Commission here earlier in the day, Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil had spoken about the move.

Source : PTI