Stirring up a fresh controversy after Salman Khurshid, Union Steel Minister Beni Prasad Verma dared the Election Commission to take action against him when he declared that quota for Muslims would be increased.
"Reservation for Muslims will be increased and if the EC wants, it can now issue notice to me," Verma said while addressing a rally at Kaimganj here last night in the presence ofCongress general secretary Digvijay Singh and Union Law Minister Khurshid.
The issue came up before the Election Commission which said it was examining whether Verma's remarks were a violation of the model code of conduct.
"We are in possession of the CD of the minister's speech. The Election Commission is examining the matter," said an EC official in Delhi.
Congress sought to disapprove Verma's remarks.
"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," Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni told reporters.
BJP said the one-upmanship among Congress leaders for appeasement and vote bank politics was "very regrettable" and asked the Election Commission to take appropriate action on the issue.
UPA ally Trinamool Congress complained to the EC and demanded action against Verma.
Trinamool alleged that a "political conspiracy" has been hatched in an "attempt to befool Muslims" and demanded that Verma be debarred from campaigning in UP.
Referring to the row between EC and Khurshid, Beni said that if Congress comes to power, then they would work for more reservation.
Khurshid had last week triggered a controversy by stating that he would continue to speak on nine per cent sub-quota for minorities even if the Election Commission "hangs me".
The EC had yesterday put a lid on the standoff with Khurshid after he expressed regrets over his "defiance" of the poll body over his remarks on subquota for minorities.
During a separate election meeting organised in the city, Khurshid, while campaigning in support of his wife and Congress candidate Louis, contended that when he said the same thing in Parliament (on quota) nobody said anything and when he repeated it in Farukkhabad, hullabaloo was created.
He said besides reservation, there were number of other laws which would benefit the poor, farmers and workers.
The minister promised higher compensation for farmers whose land would be acquired.
Apparently referring to Arun Jaitely, Khurshid said that when he talks about Muslims, the BJP leader says that he talks about only one community. "I want to ask why he is opposed to one community".
