It was remarks of union minister for steel, Beni Prasad Verma, which prompted state president Nirmal Khatri to give some more time at Congress state head-quarter or in wake of coming Parliament elections, but after a long gap the Congressmen under the leadership of new state president had a open meeting inside Nehru Bhawan campus here on Monday afternoon.
However, what attracted the workers and showed the differences between two leaders is Khatri’s more concern towards growing brick-battering on him by Beni Prasad, whom the Congressmen called as Rs Babuji’, than any other activities except for preparation of programme for coming Saheed Diwas’ on the death anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi on January 30.
While Khatri, who always refused to speak anything against Babuji before media persons citing seniority, again remained tight-lipped over the issue, sources said that he not left the chance to hear the comments of other leaders on the above issue here on Monday afternoon. When one of the leader while commenting on Babuji asked another senior belonging to minority community who is member of State Election Committee (SEC) and whom others leaders always praised for his Rs Naseeb’ (fortune), that what he will decide on the candidature of Babuji for next Parliament elections, he replied positively on which another leader commented that we should not ask BJP to field Narendra Modi against Babuji from Gonda. Interestingly on positive reply of SEC member, one another senior leader remarked that he had than true knowledge that you and one another leader from Bahraich who also supported Babuji’s candidature, are his informers. No, we are close to Babuji not to give information about Congress but to extract the policies and political plan of Samajwadi Party’, replied the two leaders showing full solidarity for Khatri. Interestingly, before the issue took any controversial turn, Khatri reportedly intervened to avoid embarrassment. He asked that they had already gave 5-minutes to the issue’ so it is better to change the topic. Sources further said Beni Prasad Verma, who had accused some senior leaders of the Congress of working for Samajwadi Party, and also held this unholy association responsible for Party’s debacle in recent election, make similar remarks before Party president Sonia Gandhi and
Rahul Gandhi. Recently during meeting of Working Committee of All India Congress Committee in New Delhi, a very senior leader looking after the party affairs here in UP asked Beni, who is also member of SEC, to hand-over his list of probables for coming Parliament elections,
Babuji replied that why should he do this. According to sources, Beni told the leader that he will hand-over the list directly to Rahul Gandhi and Soniaji so that they could not able to provide it to Samajwadi Party. Sources also confirmed that some local leaders also advocated disciplinary action against Congressmen who actively participated in Dalit, Muslim & Backward Sammelan’ in which Beni was chief guest but they got a setback when the Party high-command asked them that why they also not do so as it was done in support of Congress and not covered under anti-party activities.