Beni Prasad replies to EC notice

Union Steel Minister Beni Prasad Verma has replied to the Election Commission’s notice for his remarks on minorities sub-quota which the poll panel found “prima facie” as violation of the model code of conduct.

The poll body had slapped a show cause notice to the minister on February 18 after he dared the Commission to take action against him.

 In its notice, the Commission said that “having seen it (video recording) we are prima facie satisfied that Beni Prasad Verma by making the statements has violated the provisions of the model code of conduct and it is evident from the statements that he was well aware that by making such utterances, he was violating the model code of conduct and yet he deliberately and wilfully did the same.”

The poll panel had asked the minister to “explain” why action should not be taken against him. He was told to reply by 5 pm on February 20.

Verma in his written reply, is understood to have said that he was not guilty of poll code violation and that his remarks were made while spelling out the party manifesto as a Congress leader and not as a minister, sources close to the minister said.