UP government helped Varun Gandhi go scott free, alleges Beni Prasad Verma

LUCKNOW: Union minister Beni Prasad Verma today sparked a fresh row alleging that BJP leader Varun Gandhi was cleared by a court in hate speech case due to tacit understanding with SP government in Uttar Pradesh.

"Due to the pressure of the state government, witnesses did not turn up in the court to depose," the Union steel minister claimed.

Besides this, the government did not challenge the order given in favour of Varun by a court in Pilibhit.

He termed the SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav as "communal" and alleged that he was involved in the conspiracy to demolish Babri Mosque.

"Mulayam had always been an associate of communal forces. He was also involved in the conspiracy to demolish Babri Mosque," Beni told reporters here.

The minister also alleged that the SP supremo helped Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi to return to the power after Godhara riots in 2002.

"After communal riots in Gujarat, there was an anti-Modi atmosphere and he might have lost the polls... but he (Mulayam) fielded his candidates and campaigned for them which led to division of Muslim votes and Modi won," Verma alleged.

He alleged there was a conspiracy to demolish the Mosque on October 30, 1990 itself during the regime of Mulayam and also there was an agreement between the SP supremo and BJP leader L K Advani.

He also alleged that even the 'rath yatra' of Advani, which flared communal passion in the country, started after an understanding with Mulayam.

In reply to another question, Verma said there was no difference between Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and the decision to call for resignation of Railway Minister Pawan Bansal and Law Minister Ashwani Kumar "was taken with consensus".