New Delhi, May 4
Amidst the controversy over the OBC quota in premier educational institutions, Union Human Resource Development Minister Arjun Singh today met the full Election Commission after seeking a hearing to discuss the row created over his moves.

Mr Arjun Singh met the poll panel almost a month after it had observed that his reported announcement on the OBC quotas amounted to a new concession to certain sections of the electorate in the five states where the Assembly poll process was on.

He met Chief Election Commissioner B.B. Tandon and other two commissioners.

"He (Singh) wanted a personal hearing, which was granted," EC sources said without elaborating.

The meeting comes a day after he called on President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam and apprised him of his views on the issue of reservation, which has led to raging protests in Delhi and some parts of the country.

The Election Commission had, taking suo motu notice of media reports about the minister's comments on quota, sent out two communications to Cabinet Secretary B. K. Chakravarty, asking him to secure the explanation of Mr Arjun Singh for his remarks in violation of the model code of conduct in force in view of the ongoing Assembly polls.

The EC had given just two days' time to the Cabinet Secretary to reply to its first communication, but allowed a week for responding to its second letter which had sought clarification on the minister's contention that he had done nothing in violation of the code.

The minister had maintained that he had only referred to a constitutional amendment approved recently by Parliament to provide for reservation for OBCs in educational institutions.