After Salman Khurshid, it is now Union steel minister Beni Prasad Verma who has enraged the Election Commission by raising the minority quota issue while campaigning in Uttar Pradesh, promising additional reservations for Muslims if his party is voted to power in the state.
The commission, which has a CD of a speech by Mr Verma to this effect, says it is examining if this amounts to a violation of the model code of conduct.
The Congress, for its part, disassociated itself from his remarks while the Trinamul Congress, a UPA ally, demanded that he be barred from campaigning in UP.
Addressing a rally in Kayamganj Assembly segment of Farukkhabad, in the presence of AICC general secretary Digvijay Singh, the minister said Wednesday night: “We will give more reservations to backwards and the minorities if the Congress comes to power in Uttar Pradesh.”
He said he was least bothered and would not “budge an inch” over the minority quota even if the Election Commission decides to take action against him. Daring the commission to act, Mr Verma said: “Reservations for Muslims will be increased, and if the EC wants, it can now issue notice to me.”
The Congress reiterated its earlier line, made during a similar controversy over law minister Salman Khurshid’s remarks, that constitutional bodies had to be respected. Information and broadcasting minister Ambika Soni said: “AICC general secretary Janardan Dwivedi had said very clearly three-four days back that the language of our political discourse should be restrained, and we should definitely respect constitutional bodies. This statement ... is applicable to me, Beni Prasad Verma, Salman Khurshid and all of us.”