EC grants personal hearing to Beni, to appear on Feb 24

New Delhi, Feb 21: Steel Minister Beni Prasad Verma was granted personal hearing by the Election Commission to explain his minorities sub-quota remarks for which the poll body slapped a notice and he is likely to appear on Friday.

The Commission, which met here this evening, decided to grant personal hearing to the minister following his request in this regard. "The Minister had sought a personal hearing before the Election Commission on the matter and the poll body granted him so. He will explain his position either in person or through his lawyer on February 24 now," a top EC official told PTI.

During his hearing on Friday, Beni is expected to explain to the Commission on why action should not be initiated against him for violation of model code of conduct, sources said, adding that he had made a request to the EC in this regard to explain his position with regard to the minority sub-quota remarks.

Verma, in his reply to the Commission yesterday, expressed regret over his sub-quota remarks but has contended that he did not violate the model code of conduct and that his remarks were made as a Congress leader in line with the party's manifesto and not as a minister.

The Election Commission had on Saturday issued notice to Verma over his remarks on sub-quota for minorities, holding that prima facie it was a violation of the Model Code of Conduct and had sought his reply by Monday evening. While addressing a poll rally on Wednesday night in Farukkhabad in the 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."

PTI