Beni Prasad Verma ignores EC directive calls Narendra Modi an 'animal',mediaeye,mediaeye mumbai,mumbai news, latest news, breaking news,mumbai breaking news,mumbai latest breaking news

 

Diatribes targeting political detractors have hit an all new low as Congress leader Beni Prasad Verma made another contentious remark while addressing Congress workers in Gonda on Thursday. Beni called Bharatiya Janata Party Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi an 'animal' and said that he needs to be taught a lesson.

 

This came despite the Elections Commission taking cognizance of his earlier alleged contentious remarks against Narendra Modi. The Election Commission on Thursday issued a show cause notice to Beni for prima facie violating the Model Code of Conduct.

 

He has been asked to clear his stands on the charges by Saturday morning failing which the EC will take action without further referring the matter to him. The show cause notice was issued following complaints and reports by poll authorities in Uttar Pradesh.

 

The EC has already conveyed its "displeasure" at Verma's "biggest goon" comment against Modi. Addressing a public rally in Kanpur on April 20, Verma had reportedly said that once Rahul Gandhi becomes the Prime Minister, Modi and his close aide Amit Shah will be "jailed for life" for Godhra riots.

 

He had also reportedly said that as a 20-year-old, Modi had committed a "major crime" and had fled him home. He had said the BJP's PM nominee will never reach the PM's post and go to "graveyard".

 

The Gujarat BJP had complained to the Election Commission against Beni over the remark. "Beni recently said that at the age of 18, Modi killed someone and ran away from home. This is utterly baseless. Verma also termed Modi a descendant of Hitler. Such defamatory language is a violation of the code of conduct. We demand that the EC ban Verma from talking to the media or addressing any more rallies," BJP's Gularat legal convener Parindu Bhagat said.

 

The BJP asked the EC to be more strict. "In response to one such complaint filed by the BJP against Beni on March 30, the EC had warned Verma against using such language again, but it seems that people like Beni are not taking the EC seriously," Bhagat said.