Union Steel Minister Beni Prasad Verma today challenged SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav to an open debate on the issues of development and Ram temple.
"I challenge Mulayam Singh to come to an open debate on development and Ram temple," Verma said, adding that despite failing to take good care of Uttar Pradesh Yadav is dreaming of looking after the country.
Reiterating his charges that BJP and Samajwadi Party have a "secret understanding", he said, "Both (BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra) Modi and Mulayam Singh are holding rallies and targeting each other... This is nothing but shadow fighting."
Verma, who had recently attracted the opposition ire for distributing gifts to journalists in a steel council meet, justified it saying that "no rule has been flouted".
"No rule has been flouted in distribution of gifts to journalists and others in the state capital a few days ago," he said.
Admitting that the number of members in Steel Consumers' Council was more this time, he said there was no bar on numbers. "The numbers this time is more because Dalits and backwards have also been given representation in the council," he said.
