The Union Steel Minister replied to the poll body notice pleading not guilty to violation of model code of conduct.
Coming under the Election Commission scanner for his remarks on minorities sub-quota, Union Steel Minister Beni Prasad Verma today replied to the poll body notice pleading not guilty to violation of model code of conduct.
The Election Commission had issued a show cause notice to Verma finding his remarks on minorities sub-quota as "prima facie" violation of model code, after the minister dared the poll body to take action against him in Farrukhabad last week.
The minister's reply is likely to be taken up by the Election Commission at its full house meeting tomorrow, which will be attended by Chief Election Commissioner SY Quraishi and both the Election Commissioners VS Sampath and HS Brahma.
Verma in his written reply, sent in a sealed cover ahead of its 5 pm deadline, 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 him said.
The commission, after examining the video recordings of Verma's speech at a rally in Farrukhabad in UP, had said it "is prima facie satisfied" that the Steel Minister, "by making the aforesaid statements, has violated the aforesaid provisions of the Model Code of Conduct".
While addressing a poll rally on Wednesday night in presence of Congress general secretary Digvijay 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."
Beni was the second Union Minister after Khurshid to land in trouble with the Election Commission over remarks on the issue of sub-quota for minorities.
Verma today evaded the media but his party maintained that he holds the poll authority in the highest esteem.
"Certainly, the intent or effect (of what he said) of it was neither to vitiate any law nor to violate any code of conduct," Congress spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi told reporters. Noting that Verma is "a very veteran politician", Singhvi said there was no question of slightest disrespect to the EC intended or done in any manner because "I know Verma holds it (Election Commission) in the highest esteem".
Singhvi, who is a senior Supreme Court advocate, said, Verma will request the EC to take a balanced view of the whole thing and make it clear that he did not intend to bring down the dignity of the poll panel even fractionally.
After filing his reply to the poll body, Verma left for Lucknow this evening and did not reply to the media queries.
Sources said the Election Commission had taken serious note of his comments, particularly for daring the poll body to take action against him.
Asked about Beni's remarks, Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni had said, "Congress general secretary Janardan Dwivedi had three four days back very clearly said that we function under democracy and that the language of our political discourse should be restrained and we should definitely respect constitutional bodies.
"This statement given by our party general secretary is applicable to me, to Beni Prasad Verma, Salman Khurshid and all of us."
Verma had earlier said, "I have been addressing four to five rallies everyday and sometimes I fail to pay attention that in which reference I am saying something," adding that he respected the Election Commission and every person should do so.
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