Beni Prasad Verma
{{Short description|Founding member of Samajwadi Party}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2018}}
{{Use Indian English|date=December 2018}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Beni Prasad Verma
| image = File:The Union Steel Minister, Shri Beni Prasad Verma briefing the media after reviewing the performance of NMDC, in New Delhi on October 23, 2012.jpg
| caption =
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1941|2|11|df=y}}
| birth_place = Barabanki, United Provinces, British India
| residence = Sirauli Gauspur, Barabanki district
| death_date = {{Death date and age|2020|3|27|1941|2|11|df=y}}
| death_place = Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India
| office = Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha{{cite news | url=https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/samajwadi-party-wins-7-rajya-sabha-seats-in-up-kapil-sibal-emerges-victorious-1418013 | title=Samajwadi Party Wins 7 Rajya Sabha Seats In UP, Kapil Sibal Emerges Victorious | date=12 June 2016 | publisher=NDTV | author=Press Trust of India | access-date=12 December 2018 | archive-date=29 August 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220829122945/https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/samajwadi-party-wins-7-rajya-sabha-seats-in-up-kapil-sibal-emerges-victorious-1418013 | url-status=live }}
| term_start = 5 July 2016
| term_end = 27 March 2020
| constituency = Uttar Pradesh
| predecessor = Jugul Kishore
| successor = Jai Prakash Nishad
| office1 = Union Cabinet Minister
Government of India
| predecessor1 = Virbhadra Singh
| successor1 = Narendra Singh Tomar
| predecessor2 = H. D. Deve Gowda
| successor2 = Buta Singh
| office3 = Union Minister of State
Government of India
| predecessor3 = S. S. Ahluwalia
| successor3 = Ummareddy Venkateswarlu
| party = 20px Samajwadi Party
| spouse = Malti Devi
| children = 5
| website =
| footnotes =
| source = http://164.100.24.208/ls/lsmember/biodata.asp?mpsno=509
| termstart1 = 19 January 2011
| termend1 = 26 May 2014
| termstart2 = 29 June 1996
| termend2 = 19 March 1998
| termstart3 = 1 June 1996
| termend3 = 29 June 1996
| termstart7 = 1989
| termend7 = 1991
| predecessor7 =
| successor7 =
| termstart8 = 1979
| termend8 = 1980
| predecessor8 =
| successor8 =
| termstart9 = 1985
| termend9 = 1995
| constituency9 = Masauli
| predecessor9 = Rizvanur Rahman
| successor9 = Fareed Mahfooz Kidwai
| office4 = Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha
| termstart4 = 2009
| termend4 = 2014
| termstart5 = 1996
| termend5 = 2009
| constituency4 = Gonda
| constituency5 = Kaiserganj
| predecessor4 = Kirti Vardhan Singh
| predecessor5 = Laxminarain Mani Tripathi
| successor4 = Kirti Vardhan Singh
| successor5 = Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh
| 1blankname1 = Ministry& Department's
| 1namedata1 = *Ministry of Steel{{small|(MoS, I/C until 12 July 2011)}}
| primeminister1 = Manmohan Singh
| 1blankname2 = Ministry& Department's
| 1namedata2 = *Ministry of Communications{{small|(MoS, I/C until 10 July 1996)}}
| primeminister2 = H. D. Deve Gowda
| 1blankname3 = Ministry& Department's
| 1namedata3 = *Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs
| primeminister3 = H. D. Deve Gowda
| minister3 = Ram Vilas Paswan
| termstart10 = 1977
| termend10 = 1980
| predecessor10 = Mohsina Kidwai
| successor10 = Rizvanur Rahman
| constituency10 = Masauli
| constituency11 = Dariyabad
| office9 = Member of Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly
| termstart11 = 1974
| termend11 = 1977
| predecessor11 = Girja Shankar
| successor11 = Asharfi Lal
| office6 = Cabinet Minister
Government of Uttar Pradesh
| termstart6 = 1993
| termend6 = 1995
| 1blankname6 = Chief Minister
| 2blankname6 = Ministry& Department's
| 1namedata6 = Mulayam Singh Yadav
| 2namedata6 = *Parliamentary Affairs
- Public Work's Department
| 1blankname7 = Chief Minister
| 2blankname7 = Ministry& Department's
| 1namedata7 = Mulayam Singh Yadav
| 2namedata7 = *Parliamentary Affairs
- Public Work's Department
- Excise
| 1blankname8 = Chief Minister
| 2blankname8 = Ministry& Department's
| 1namedata8 = Babu Banarasi Das
| 2namedata8 = *Sugar Cane Development
- Jail's
}}
Beni Prasad Verma (11 February 1941 – 27 March 2020) was an Indian politician and a founding member of the Samajwadi Party. 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
Verma was born in Barabanki, Uttar Pradesh into a Kurmi family.[https://books.google.com/books?id=-rMW03l_gx0C&pg=PA376 Christophe Jaffrelot]{{cite web|url=https://www.livemint.com/Politics/FY5bVuZXgSNzSYVS4yaWeN/Uttar-Pradesh-polls-Kurmis-being-wooed-by-parties-of-all-hu.html|title=Ahead of polls, Kurmis are the target of a charm offensive in Uttar Pradesh|website=live mint|accessdate=23 July 2023|archive-date=22 July 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230722200620/https://www.livemint.com/Politics/FY5bVuZXgSNzSYVS4yaWeN/Uttar-Pradesh-polls-Kurmis-being-wooed-by-parties-of-all-hu.html|url-status=live}} He had three sons and two daughters.
Political career
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.{{cite web|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/india/beni-prasad-verma-death-samajwadi-party-socialist-6335116/|title=The Socialist who returned home|access-date=25 July 2023|archive-date=10 June 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200610043829/https://indianexpress.com/article/india/beni-prasad-verma-death-samajwadi-party-socialist-6335116/|url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/Beni-Prasad-Verma-quits-Congress-rejoins-Samajwadi-Party/article60380885.ece|title=Beni Prasad Verma quits congress joins Samajwadi party|website=The Hindu|access-date=25 July 2023|archive-date=25 July 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230725183953/https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/Beni-Prasad-Verma-quits-Congress-rejoins-Samajwadi-Party/article60380885.ece|url-status=live}}
Educational institutes
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.{{cite web |url=http://www.mlveibarabanki.org/ |title=Home |website=mlveibarabanki.org |access-date=4 March 2012 |archive-date=11 March 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120311050835/http://www.mlveibarabanki.org/ |url-status=live }}
Death
Verma died on 27 March 2020.{{cite web | title=SP founding member Beni Prasad Verma dies | website=The Hindu | date=2020-03-27 | url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/sp-founding-member-beni-prasad-verma-dies/article31186221.ece | access-date=2023-07-26}} Political leaders including Narendra Modi, Keshav Prasad Maurya, Akhilesh Yadav and others shared condolences.{{cite web| title=Keshav Prasad Maurya condoles Beni Prasad Verma's death | website=Business News, Finance News, India News, BSE/NSE News, Stock Markets News, Sensex NIFTY, Union Budget 2023 | date=2020-03-28 | url=https://www.business-standard.com/article/news-ani/keshav-prasad-maurya-condoles-beni-prasad-verma-s-death-120032800626_1.html | access-date=2023-07-26}}{{cite web | title=PM Modi expresses condolences on passing away of Beni Prasad Verma | website=ANI News | date=2020-03-27 | url=https://www.aninews.in/news/national/general-news/pm-modi-expresses-condolences-on-passing-away-of-beni-prasad-verma20200328000445/ | access-date=2023-07-26}}{{cite web | title=SP founding member Beni Prasad Verma dies | website=The Economic Times | date=2020-03-27 | url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/sp-founding-member-beni-prasad-verma-dies/articleshow/74852187.cms | access-date=2023-07-26}}
Views
In 1997, Beni Prasad Verma criticized B. R. Ambedkar in a Lucknow rally by saying "Ambedkar did nothing else except create trouble for Gandhiji."{{cite news|url=https://www.outlookindia.com/magazine/story/the-ambedkar-armada/203802|title=The Ambedkar Armada|publisher=Outlook India|year=2012|access-date=12 February 2023|archive-date=23 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210923090930/https://www.outlookindia.com/magazine/story/the-ambedkar-armada/203802|url-status=live}}{{cite book|title=Between Ethics and Politics: New Essays on Gandhi|page=141|author=Eva Pföstl|year=2016|publisher=Routledge|isbn=9781134911073 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=w9q_CwAAQBAJ&pg=PT141}}
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.{{cite web|title=PM apologises for remark on Vajpayee|date=9 December 2009|publisher=Zee News|url=http://zeenews.india.com/news/nation/pm-apologises-for-remark-on-vajpayee_585899.html|access-date=27 February 2014|archive-date=2 June 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150602235552/http://zeenews.india.com/news/nation/pm-apologises-for-remark-on-vajpayee_585899.html|url-status=live}} 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.{{cite web|title=BJP threatens to stall Parliament over 'insult' to Vajpayee|publisher=Rediff|url=http://www.rediff.com/news/report/bjp-threatens-to-stall-parliament-over-insult-to-vajpayee/20091208.htm|access-date=27 February 2014|archive-date=3 March 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140303053720/http://www.rediff.com/news/report/bjp-threatens-to-stall-parliament-over-insult-to-vajpayee/20091208.htm|url-status=live}}
In February 2012, during the Uttar Pradesh elections Verma dared EC to arrest him, saying quota for Muslims will be hiked.{{cite news|title=Beni Prasad Verma dares EC says quota for Muslims will be hiked (TOI) |url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-02-16/india/31066161_1_muslim-reservation-salman-khurshid-beni-prasad-verma |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120723095423/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-02-16/india/31066161_1_muslim-reservation-salman-khurshid-beni-prasad-verma |url-status=dead |work=The Times of India |archive-date=2012-07-23 }} 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
.{{cite web|title=Beni Prasad Verma is 'happy' with rising prices, gets flak|publisher=Hindustan Times|url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/NewDelhi/Beni-Prasad-Verma-is-happy-with-rising-prices-gets-flak/Article1-916484.aspx|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120820225133/http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/NewDelhi/Beni-Prasad-Verma-is-happy-with-rising-prices-gets-flak/Article1-916484.aspx|archive-date=2012-08-20}}
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.
{{cite news|title=Beni Prasad Verma says Rs 71 lakh too little for a central minister|work=The Times of India|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Beni-Prasad-Verma-says-Rs-71-lakh-too-little-for-a-central-minister/articleshow/16829095.cms|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130601023547/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-10-16/india/34497565_1_beni-prasad-verma-corruption-issue-law-minister|url-status=live|archive-date=2013-06-01}}
On 13 December 2012, he opposed hanging of Afzal Guru. He said: "Do not hang Afzal Guru but give him life imprisonment".{{Cite web|url=http://zeenews.india.com/news/nation/dont-hang-afzal-guru-beni-prasad-verma_816469.html|title=Don't hang Afzal Guru: Beni Prasad Verma|date=13 December 2012|access-date=13 December 2012|archive-date=16 December 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121216011716/http://zeenews.india.com/news/nation/dont-hang-afzal-guru-beni-prasad-verma_816469.html|url-status=live}}
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."{{Cite web|url = http://zeenews.india.com/news/nation/beni-prasad-verma-calls-aap-s-kumar-vishwas-a-joker_896243.html|title = Beni Prasad Verma calls AAP's Kumar Vishwas a 'joker'|date = 12 December 2013|access-date = 15 December 2013|archive-date = 15 December 2013|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20131215154104/http://zeenews.india.com/news/nation/beni-prasad-verma-calls-aap-s-kumar-vishwas-a-joker_896243.html|url-status = live}}
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.{{cite web | title=We need a future prime minister, not a man-eater: Beni Prasad Verma | website=The Economic Times | date=2014-01-11 | url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/we-need-a-future-prime-minister-not-a-man-eater-beni-prasad-verma/articleshow/28689002.cms | access-date=2023-07-26}}{{cite web | title=Beni Prasad Verma calls Narendra Modi 'monster', booked | website=Hindustan Times | date=2014-05-03 | url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india/beni-prasad-verma-calls-narendra-modi-monster-booked/story-YVoTtImdG2geLNlO1HJsHI.html | access-date=2023-07-26}}
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."{{cite news|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-news-india/sp-leader-beni-prasad-verma-slams-rss-over-mahatma-gandhi-assassination-3024172/|title=SP leader Beni Prasad Verma slams RSS over Mahatma Gandhi assassination|date=10 September 2016|publisher=Indian Express|access-date=12 February 2023|archive-date=12 February 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230212172925/https://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-news-india/sp-leader-beni-prasad-verma-slams-rss-over-mahatma-gandhi-assassination-3024172/|url-status=live}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{cite web | url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/NewDelhi/Who-is-Beni-Prasad-Verma/Article1-1029597.aspx | title=Who is Beni Prasad Verma? | publisher=Hindustan Times | date=20 March 2013 | access-date=21 March 2013 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130322192552/http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/NewDelhi/Who-is-Beni-Prasad-Verma/Article1-1029597.aspx | archive-date=22 March 2013 }}
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20110514145641/http://india.gov.in/govt/loksabhampbiodata.php?mpcode=509 Detailed profile: Beni Prasad Verma] in India.gov.in website
{{s-start}}
{{s-off}}
{{s-bef | before = Virbhadra Singh}}
{{s-ttl |
| title = Minister of Steel
| years = 19 Jan 2011 – 26 May 2014}}
{{s-aft | after = Narendra Singh Tomar}}
{{s-end}}
{{Cabinet of Manmohan Singh}}
{{Ministry of Communications (India)}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Verma, Beni Prasad}}
Category:Indian National Congress politicians from Uttar Pradesh
Category:Samajwadi Party politicians
Category:People from Barabanki, Uttar Pradesh
Category:Lok Sabha members from Uttar Pradesh
Category:United Progressive Alliance candidates in the 2014 Indian general election
Category:Members of the Cabinet of India
Category:Rajya Sabha members from Uttar Pradesh
Category:People from Gonda district
Category:People from Bahraich district
Category:Steel ministers of India
{{Commons category|Beni Prasad Verma
}}