Beni praises Akhilesh, says Mulayam role slowing govt

Union Steel Minister Beni Prasad Verma believes UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav deserves "100 per cent'' marks for his performance in the past six months. Saying Akhilesh was "like my son", Verma said he was impressed with Akhilesh's work, it is "interference of Mulayam Singh Yadav" that is slowing the government down.

Talking to The Indian Express from Delhi, the Congress leader said, "I give 100 per cent to Akhilesh Yadav because he is working with a positive energy and wants to do good. He has turned out to be a transparent Chief Minister. The only thing that worries me is the interference of his father Mulayam Singh Yadav in the day-to-day work of the government.''

Verma said that his assessment of Akhilesh was "also emotional" because Akhilesh is like his son. "He is like my son, so emotionally also I have feelings for him but I have no feelings for his father Mulayam Singh Yadav," he said.

The minister expressed hope that in the days to come, Akhilesh would overcome all problems, "including the interferences'', and would start working independently to achieve bigger success. "I am sure that in some days to come, he would learn to manage these," he said.

Beni Prasad Verma's certificate to Akhilesh government comes days after the newly appointed state Congress president Nirmal Khatri had told partymen to oppose wrong policies of the state government and protest wherever they see injustice.

He had pointed out that the Congress did not desist from criticising the Trinamool Congress in Bengal, although it was a part of the state government and the TMC was a UPA ally at the Centre.

Incidentally, Verma was conspicuous by his absence at the ceremony where Khatri took over as party president last Tuesday. All other senior leaders, including Union ministers Salman Khurshid and Shriprakash Jaiswal, were present there.

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