Modi has to be kept away from power, says Beni Prasad Verma

New Delhi, Feb 3: Union Minister

on Monday hit out at

saying the Gujarat chief minister would have to be kept away from power to maintain social harmony in a developing country like India.

"Modi says Congress sows and spews poison. But everyone is aware of who sows and spread poison," Verma said. He was referring to Modi's comments at a rally in Meerut on Sunday, where Modi had accused the Congress of putting one religion against another, one caste against another and one state against another.

On Saturday, Sonia Gandhi, at a rally in Gulbarga in Karnataka, accused Modi and BJP of indulging in divisive politics by "sowing seeds of poison" (zeher ki kheti) and instigating violence in their "hunger" for power.

"India is a developing country and for its economic development, it is essential that social harmony is maintained, for which Modi would have to be kept away from power," Verma said.

On Samajwadi Party

Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav had organised a rally in Verma's constituency Gonda on Monday. Verma responded that he never considers SP a challenge, and asserted that he will contest from Gonda only.

Terming UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav as like a son to him, Verma hoped Akhilesh would help set up 500 MW power projects in Jagdishpur and Gonda.

On Azam Khan

Taking a dig at UP Minister Azam Khan, who reportedly directed policemen to seek out the buffaloes that went missing from his farm, Verma said several lives were lost in Muzaffarnagar, but no one has been sent. "This is most disappointing," he said.

On Kejriwal's list of corrupt leaders

On AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal naming Congress president Sonia Gandhi and vice-president Rahul Gandhi in the list of corrupt leaders, he shot back, saying, "...every thief brands the other a thief."

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