Behave or face ban, EC tells Beni over anti-Modi remarks

The EC on Thursday warned Congress leader Beni Prasad Verma that he could be barred from campaigning if he did not refrain from making insulting remarks against BJP PM candidate Narendra Modi.

The EC on Thursday warned Congress leader Beni Prasad Verma that he could be barred from campaigning if he did not refrain from making insulting remarks against BJP PM candidate Narendra Modi.

At a rally in Kanpur on April 20, Verma had called Modi an absconder who had run away at the age of 20 after committing a serious crime. The commission had issued a notice to Verma and asked why action should not be taken against him. Calling it a “highly insulting remark”, the commission said it is not satisfied with Verma’s explanation.

The poll panel said it had received similar complaints of violation of model code of conduct by Verma on April 16 and April 19 and had expressed its displeasure and issued a warning to him to be careful in the future.

It said any further violation by Verma could lead to strictures against any campaigning for the Lok Sabha elections.

“(The commission) further records that in cases of any violation by him, hereafter, the commission shall take strict view against him, which may include, but not restricted to, denial of permission to carry out any campaign-related activity by him,” the commission said in its letter to Verma.