Beni says 'humiliated' by party, threatens to quit

Claiming to be "humiliated" by the party's reprimand, Steel Minister Beni Prasad Verma today threatened to quit the Congress as well as the government if he was stopped from "fighting" against SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav.
The 72-year-old leader also belied the claim of AICC in-charge of Uttar Pradesh Madhusudan Mistry that he had expressed regret and promised not to speak against Yadav again as he attacked the SP supremo once more, alleging that he had "connived" with BJP in 1990 in run up to the Babri Masjid demolition.
"My effigies were burnt yesterday. After the statements which have been published in newspapers today, I felt humiliated," Verma told a group of reporters here.

"I am not in politics for chair or to become a Minister. I believe in values...I can quit Congress any time or it can remove me...I can tender my resignation if Congress becomes an obstacle in my fight with Yadav," he added.
His statement came a day after Mistry reprimanded him for his remarks that SP chief should "first try to get the job of a sweeper at the residence of the PM if he is nursing ambitions of becoming the Prime Minister.
In an apparent attack on Mistry, Verma said there are "multiple centres of power" in Congress. "There is no harm if there were even 10 centres of power but these should be just with an upright intention unlike Uttar Pradesh where various centres of power are indugling in loot and corruption."

He said he felt "so humiliated" that he has sought time to meet Congress President Sonia Gandhi on the issue.
Congress sought to downplay Verma's threat and said he has not not been barred from criticising the Samajwadi Party.
"Verma has only been told not to use objectionable language", said a senior party leader, who declined to be identified.