Varun files nomination

The political novice Varun Gandhi, who is on two-week parole granted by Supreme Court, filed his nomination papers from Pilibhit on Wednesday amid tight security to avoid any untoward incident. Pilibhit will go to polls on May 13.

Varun was accompanied by his mother and sitting MP from Pilibhit Maneka Gandhi, who vacated her seat for the son and is contesting from Anola parliamentary constituency. The 29-year-old Gandhi was disallowed to be accompanied by his companions and supporters while filing the nominations before the District Magistrate.

Before filing the nominations the Nehru-Gandhi scion addressing a public rally in Nawabganj stressed that non-violence is his religion and he has strong family values which include respecting and loving others. He said that he would continue fighting for the issues related to dignity of the people, and if for that he would have to go jail, he was ready to go “again and again”.

BJP, on the other hand, supported his so-called new Hindutva poster boy saying Varun Gandhi could not be gagged from speaking on several issues as long as his remarks are within the limits of laws and undertaking he has given to the Supreme Court. BJP general secretary Arun Jaitley said the party was going to use him in the campaign.

Varun Gandhi was slapped with National Security Act (NSA) last month after he made hate and inflammatory speeches against the Muslims during a public rally in his Pilibhit constituency.

He is now on two-week parole granted by the Supreme Court after taking undertaking from him not to make provocative and inflammatory speeches during the elections. The Election Commission had yesterday rejected his request to appoint neutral observers in his constituency and transfer Pilibhit’s District Magistrate and Superintendent of Police.