The Election Commission on Saturday issued a notice to steel minister Beni Prasad Verma over his remarks on sub-quota for minorities while holding him prima-facie guilty of violation of the model code of conduct.
Verma is the second Union minister after law minister Salman Khurshid who has been issued notice from the poll body for poll code violation over the sub-quota remarks.
The Commission, which examined the video recordings of Verma's speech at a rally in Farrukhabad in UP, said it is prima facie satisfied" that the steel minister, by making the aforesaid statements, has violated the aforesaid provisions of the code.
The EC notice said, “It is evident from the above statements of Shri Beni Prasad Verma that he was well aware that by making such utterances, he was violating the model code of conduct and yet he deliberately and willfully did the same."
The Commission asked Verma to explain his position by 5pm on February 20, as to why action should not be taken against him for violating the provisions of Model Code of Conduct.
While addressing a poll rally on Wednesday night in Farukkabad in the presence of Congress general secretary Digvijaya Singh and Union law minister Salman Khurshid, Beni had said, "Reservation for Muslims will be increased and if the EC wants, it can now issue a notice to me."
{{/usCountry}}While addressing a poll rally on Wednesday night in Farukkabad in the presence of Congress general secretary Digvijaya Singh and Union law minister Salman Khurshid, Beni had said, "Reservation for Muslims will be increased and if the EC wants, it can now issue a notice to me."
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