UPA allies to support presidential candidate selected by Congress: Farooq

New Delhi, May 16 (ANI): While the race for India's next President gathers pace, Renewable and Energy Minister Farooq Abdullah on Wednesday said all the party leaders are being taken into wide consultation over the issue and would support whosoever will be selected by the Congress

"Well, I think we all are being consulted. I can't tell you the name but it will be a good candidate. I can't give the name because the United Progressive Alliance chairperson will announce the name and once it is announced, we are part of the UPA, and you will know that we have backed the candidate," Abdullah told the media here.

The dilemma over the nomination of President continued with the political parties remaining divided over a candidate's name.

There have been reports that the Congress is reaching out to allies to arrive at a consensus on Vice President Hamid Ansari or Pranab Mukherjee for the coveted post.

President Pratibha Devisingh Patil's term ends on July 25 this year.

Meanwhile, commenting over the publication of a derogatory cartoon of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar in NCERT textbooks, Abdullah also said the issue has been unnecessarily blown up.

"Whatever has happened, I have seen cartoons on me and I believe that we have gone so far in context of the issue. One should take these cartoons lightly. In our area, there is a newspaper, which is called as Kashmir Times and that publishes a lot of cartoons in its edition and gives message, so I believe that we are over reacting, cartoons are an important factor. I congratulate cartoonist with the mental capacity they have for projecting the things that are otherwise not projected," said Abdullah.

Abdullah further said that cartoons provoking religious tension should not be made or published.

"I think that the government should again think over the issue and should make sure that cartoons that provoking religious tensions are made or not to be published. Cartons criticizing people should not be taken in a bad light," he added.

The cartoon, which sparked off the controversy was originally published in 1949 and showed former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru whipping Dr BR Ambedkar who is seen sitting on a snail, to speed up drafting the Constitution. (ANI)