Beni issue: SP softens stand, refrains from disrupting Houses

NEW DELHI: The Samajwadi Party appeared to officially soften its outrage against steel minister Beni Prasad Verma, after the dawn raids by CBI on DMK leader MK Stalin’s residence in Chennai. The party authorised its chief, Mulayam Singh Yadav, to take suitable action on Verma, a climb down from demanding his resignation from the Union Cabinet.

The veteran leader, who had earlier disparaged Verma’s expression of regret on certain objectionable statements made by the latter, changed his tune and has decided to wait and watch the political developments in Delhi. “Do I look angry to you?” he said after a meeting of the SP’s parliamentary party in Delhi, where the party was supposed to take a call on whether or not to demand Verma’s resignation.

According to sources, at the parliamentary party meeting, Yadav counselled patience to MPs even as several of them spoke of taking an aggressive attitude against Verma. MPs felt that their bargaining position was as good as was going to be.

“Netaji, however, felt that after Sonia Gandhi’s apology, it would be churlish to stand on ceremony,” said one senior SP MP. The meeting was held in the backdrop of CBI raids against DMK leader MK Stalin’s residence, and the Congress reaching out to the Trinamool Congress. “The raids by CBI are clearly political, its always the sarkar and not CBI which decides when and whom to raid in political cases,” said a senior SP MP.

Indeed, nearly all parties felt the effect of the raids in Chennai was actually directed towards Lucknow and Etawah. CPM leader Sitaram Yechury said CBI raids were a, “clear indication for the supporting parties. This government is more of a minority after DMK left. Its survival depends on SP and BSP and the cost of deal making will go up. Therefore, CBI can be used as a tool of intimidation,” he said. Both SP and BSP chiefs have DA cases against them.