NSA slapped on Varun over hate speech

BJP candidate from Pilibhit and a political novice Varun Gandhi may experience some troubled days ahead as he has been booked under the National Security Act (NSA), which has a provision of detention without trial for up to one year.

He was booked under Section 2 and 3 of the NSA by the Uttar Pradesh government on Sunday night after a recommendation in this regard was made by the District Magistrate of Pilibhit.

UP Additional Cabinet Secretary Vijay Shankar Pandey at a press conference last night said the decision was taken at a high-level meeting presided over by the Chief Minister Mayawati. Apart from making inflammatory speeches in public meetings at Dalganj and Barkhera in Pilibhit on March 7 and 8, Varun Gandhi had incited his supporters by giving a provocative speech at the court gate on March 28, which led the supporters turned violent and clashed with police leading to a major law and order issue in the area, Pandey said.

According to NSA provision, an accused booked under this Act can be detained for up to a year without trial, beginning with an initial three-month detention. He/She must be conveyed the grounds for his detention within five days, and the case must come before an advisory board, headed by a retired or serving High Court judge, within three weeks.

The advisory board can either sustain or annul his/her detention. In the former case, the government can detain him for up to a year and in the latter case accused would have to be released.

Besides NSA, earlier on Sunday, four more FIRs were registered against the Gandhi scion in Pilibhit by the Pilibhit administration charging him with attempt to murder, rioting and other grave offences for the Saturday rioting indulged in by the Varun’s supporters after his inflated speech.

A local court in Pilibhit will hear a bail plea today. He, however, cannot be released even if he gets bail in other cases unless the High Court gives him bail in NSA case.

The young Gandhi is in judicial custody till Monday in connection with his outrageous speeches made in Pilibhit constituency on March 6.

Meanwhile, BJP has criticised sharply to the invoking of NSA against Varun Gandhi, saying, this is worst kind of vendetta politics aimed at vote bank.

“This is not emergency days. The nation is watching. Gandhi has been charged under this Act at a time when a TADA convict (Sanjay Dutt) is seeking his election from Lucknow and many more culprits are in the fray,” party spokesperson Javdekar said.