Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh on Monday expressed surprise at Samajwadi Party state President Akhilesh Yadav's statement of extending support if the Centre gives 18 percent quota to Muslims saying it was well known that reservation cannot exceed 50 percent.

"I read a statement of Akhilesh Yadav wherein he has said that the SP was ready to extend support if Congress government gives 18 per cent reservation to Muslims," Digvijay told reporters here.

"I would have not been surprised if Mulayam Singh Yadav had given such a statement, but this coming from a well educated person like Akhilesh is surprising," he added.

He said that SP leaders knew that reservation cannot exceed 50 percent as there was a Supreme Court capping on it.

"For this constitutional amendment is needed and neither Congress nor SP has absolute majority," he said.

The Congress leader said that when the party was in power in Kerala, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, quota was given to the minorities, but not on religious grounds.

"When the party came to power in 2004, Sachar committee was constituted to examine the social status of Muslims, which recommended a quota within quota," he said.

He said that in 2009 Lok Sabha elections, the party in its manifesto promised quota to minorities and fulfilled it.

"As far as Mulayam Singh is concerned he never made any mention of this nor took any action in this direction," he alleged.

The Congress leader accused the SP supremo of making false promises. "In 1996 Mulayam said he will abolish sales tax, but trade tax was introduced in its place. Without the consent of the centre or constitutional amendment, he included several OBC castes into SC/ST due to which problems were faced," he alleged.