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Beni Prasad Verma

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Beni Prasad Verma
Member Of Parliament
Rajya Sabha
[1]
In office
5 July 2016 – 27 March 2020
Preceded byJugul Kishore
Succeeded byJai Prakash Nishad
ConstituencyUttar Pradesh
Minister of Steel
In office
19 January 2011 – 26 May 2014
Preceded byVirbhadra Singh
Succeeded byNarendra Singh Tomar
Member of Parliament
Lok Sabha
In office
2009 – 2014
Preceded byKirti Vardhan Singh
Succeeded byKirti Vardhan Singh
ConstituencyGonda
In office
1996 – 2009
Preceded byLaxminarain Mani Tripathi
Succeeded byBrij Bhushan Sharan Singh
ConstituencyKaiserganj
Personal details
Born(1941-02-11)11 February 1941
Barabanki, United Provinces, British India
Died27 March 2020(2020-03-27) (aged 79)
Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India
Political party Samajwadi Party
SpouseMalti Devi
Children3 sons and 2 daughters
Residence(s)Sirauli Gauspur, Barabanki district
Source: [1]

Beni Prasad Verma (11 February 1941 – 27 March 2020) was an Indian politician and a founding member of the Samajwadi Party.[2] A prominent member of the Samajwadi Party, he later joined Indian National Congress and was elected on its ticket to Lok Sabha in 2009. In 2016 he rejoined the Samajwadi Party.

Personal life

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Verma was born in Barabanki, Uttar Pradesh into a Kurmi family.[3][4] He had three sons and two daughters.[2][5]

Political career

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The Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Steel, Shri Beni Prasad Verma inaugurated the NCR Corporate Centre of Hindustan Steelworks Construction Limited, in New Delhi on 3 March 2011.

Beni Prasad Verma was the steel Minister of the Indian Government. He was the Public Works Department minister for the State of Uttar Pradesh in India for several years.

He served as the Union Communications Minister in Deve Gowda's cabinet from 1996 to 1998.

He was re-elected to the Lok Sabha in 1998, 1999 and 2004 from Kaiserganj constituency seat. In 2009, he was re-elected to the Lok Sabha from Gonda constituency in Uttar Pradesh state as an Indian National Congress candidate and on July-12-2011 was appointed the Steel Minister in Manmohan Singh Government. In 2016, he rejoined the Samajwadi Party.[6][7]

Educational institutes

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Beni Prasad Verma has established educational institutions Chaudhary Charan Singh Mahavidyalaya at Bardari near Badosarai and Mohanlal Verma Educational Institute in his home district of Barabanki.[8]

Death

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Verma died on 27 March 2020.[2] Political leaders including Narendra Modi, Keshav Prasad Maurya, Akhilesh Yadav and others shared condolences.[9][10][11]

Views

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The Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Steel, Shri Beni Prasad Verma addressing at the inauguration of the Steel Summit-2011, in New Delhi on 25 February 2011.

In 1997, Beni Prasad Verma criticized B. R. Ambedkar in a Lucknow rally by saying "Ambedkar did nothing else except create trouble for Gandhiji."[12][13]

In December 2009 during a debate session in Lok Sabha, Beni Prasad had remarked former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee as "man of low standard". In the same statement, Verma had also criticized L. K. Advani.[14] This created serious agitation among BJP leaders protested immediately by shouting, they stalled parliament and demanded an apology and said it would boycott the Lok Sabha till Verma apologises. Verma refused to apologise for the statement.[15]

In February 2012, during the Uttar Pradesh elections Verma dared EC to arrest him, saying quota for Muslims will be hiked.[16] Verma said this while addressing a rally at Kaimganj in the presence of Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh and Union law and minority affairs minister Salman Khurshid. Earlier, Khurshid created a controversy by stating that he would continue to speak on nine percent sub-quota for Muslims even if the Election Commission says it's against the guideline to promise such a thing during the elections.

On 19 August 2012 he made a remark in Barabanki, Uttar Pradesh that "With the increasing price levels, the farmers are benefitting. Dal, atta, vegetables have all become expensive. I am happy with this price rise. The more the prices rise the better it is for farmers," the minister said .[17]

On 15 October 2012, he made a controversial remark that "I believe Salman Khurshid could not have embezzled Rs 71 lakh. It is a very small amount for a central minister. I would have taken it seriously if the amount was Rs 71 crore." The Times of India said his statements are grossly ill-timed and ill-phrased. [18]

On 13 December 2012, he opposed hanging of Afzal Guru. He said: "Do not hang Afzal Guru but give him life imprisonment".[19]

In December 2013, when he asked about Kumar Vishwas standing against Rahul Gandhi in the election from Rahul Gandhi's home place Amethi he said, "what will he fight, how will he fight. He is nothing but a joker. There are so many jokers already, he can join them."[20]

In 2014, he criticised the then PM candidate Narendra Modi by saying "We need a future prime minister, not a man-eater". An FIR was filed against Verma for this statement.[5][21]

In 2016, he blamed Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) for assassination of Mahatma Gandhi and added that "When Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated, RSS workers were told in advance to keep their radio sets on for they will get to hear good news."[22]

References

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  1. ^ Press Trust of India (12 June 2016). "Samajwadi Party Wins 7 Rajya Sabha Seats In UP, Kapil Sibal Emerges Victorious". NDTV. Archived from the original on 29 August 2022. Retrieved 12 December 2018.
  2. ^ a b c "SP founding member Beni Prasad Verma dies". The Hindu. 27 March 2020. Retrieved 26 July 2023.
  3. ^ Christophe Jaffrelot
  4. ^ "Ahead of polls, Kurmis are the target of a charm offensive in Uttar Pradesh". live mint. Archived from the original on 22 July 2023. Retrieved 23 July 2023.
  5. ^ a b "We need a future prime minister, not a man-eater: Beni Prasad Verma". The Economic Times. 11 January 2014. Retrieved 26 July 2023.
  6. ^ "The Socialist who returned home". Archived from the original on 10 June 2020. Retrieved 25 July 2023.
  7. ^ "Beni Prasad Verma quits congress joins Samajwadi party". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 25 July 2023. Retrieved 25 July 2023.
  8. ^ "Home". mlveibarabanki.org. Archived from the original on 11 March 2012. Retrieved 4 March 2012.
  9. ^ "Keshav Prasad Maurya condoles Beni Prasad Verma's death". Business News, Finance News, India News, BSE/NSE News, Stock Markets News, Sensex NIFTY, Union Budget 2023. 28 March 2020. Retrieved 26 July 2023.
  10. ^ "PM Modi expresses condolences on passing away of Beni Prasad Verma". ANI News. 27 March 2020. Retrieved 26 July 2023.
  11. ^ "SP founding member Beni Prasad Verma dies". The Economic Times. 27 March 2020. Retrieved 26 July 2023.
  12. ^ "The Ambedkar Armada". Outlook India. 2012. Archived from the original on 23 September 2021. Retrieved 12 February 2023.
  13. ^ Eva Pföstl (2016). Between Ethics and Politics: New Essays on Gandhi. Routledge. p. 141. ISBN 9781134911073.
  14. ^ "PM apologises for remark on Vajpayee". Zee News. 9 December 2009. Archived from the original on 2 June 2015. Retrieved 27 February 2014.
  15. ^ "BJP threatens to stall Parliament over 'insult' to Vajpayee". Rediff. Archived from the original on 3 March 2014. Retrieved 27 February 2014.
  16. ^ "Beni Prasad Verma dares EC says quota for Muslims will be hiked (TOI)". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 23 July 2012.
  17. ^ "Beni Prasad Verma is 'happy' with rising prices, gets flak". Hindustan Times. Archived from the original on 20 August 2012.
  18. ^ "Beni Prasad Verma says Rs 71 lakh too little for a central minister". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 1 June 2013.
  19. ^ "Don't hang Afzal Guru: Beni Prasad Verma". 13 December 2012. Archived from the original on 16 December 2012. Retrieved 13 December 2012.
  20. ^ "Beni Prasad Verma calls AAP's Kumar Vishwas a 'joker'". 12 December 2013. Archived from the original on 15 December 2013. Retrieved 15 December 2013.
  21. ^ "Beni Prasad Verma calls Narendra Modi 'monster', booked". Hindustan Times. 3 May 2014. Retrieved 26 July 2023.
  22. ^ "SP leader Beni Prasad Verma slams RSS over Mahatma Gandhi assassination". Indian Express. 10 September 2016. Archived from the original on 12 February 2023. Retrieved 12 February 2023.
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Political offices
Preceded by Minister of Steel
19 Jan 2011 – 26 May 2014
Succeeded by