SC repeals NSA against Varun

In a major setback to Chief Minister Mayawati, the Supreme Court on Monday directed the Uttar Pradesh government to annul the National Security Act (NSA) against the BJP leader Varun Gandhi forthwith.

“The State government shall forthwith withdraw the detention order against Varun Gandhi under the NSA,” a Bench headed by Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan, including Justices P Sathsavim and Deepak Verma, said on Thursday.

The Bench was hearing on the petition filed by the 29-year-old Varun Gandhi challenging the imposition of the NSA as well as the application filed by the UP government against the order of the state advisory board recommending revocation of the stringent law against him.

Reacting to the Court’s order the much-relieved Gandhi said: "I stand vindicated. I have always said that NSA was applied wrongly on me. Mayawati had flouted democratic norms."

On Tuesday, the UP government moved the apex court challenging the advisory board’s decision of revoking NSA (National Security Act) against the young Gandhi, citing the board’s decision was taken in haste without considering all aspects of the case as it had overlooked several cogent evidences offered by the government against the new poster boy of the BJP.

The Bench was also critical of the UP government approaching it with an application against the decision of the State advisory board which had not found sufficient ground for invocation of NSA against Varun Gandhi, saying it had “no ground to challenge” the board’s decision.

The three-member advisory board, set up by the Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad HC, had on May 8 recommended immediate withdrawal of NSA against Varun Gandhi, saying the use of NSA against Varun Gandhi was “incorrect and invalid”.

The Uttar Pradesh government had invoked the NSA against Varun Gandhi, who is contesting Lok Sabha election from Pilibhit constituency, on March 29 for his alleged hate and provocative speech during a public meeting on March 5 in Pilibhit. Two criminal cases were also filed against him and he was arrested on March 28 while going to surrender before the CJM, Pilibhit. He had been on parole for a month granted by the apex court that came to an end today.