Padrauna (UP), March 28: BJP`s Prime Ministerial
candidate L K Advani on Saturday came out in support of Varun Gandhi, under fire for his alleged hate speeches, and said it was the opposition which had made him a "poster boy".
He accused the Election Commission of exceeding its brief
by suggesting BJP should not field him as a candidate in the
election.
"We did not make Varun Gandhi a poster boy. It is the
others who give publicity. Most of the time, our opponents
have made him a poster boy," Advani told reporters.
Advani attacked the Election Commission`s suggestion that
Gandhi should not be given nomination by BJP as the poll panel
had found him guilty of making inflammatory speeches in his
constituency Pilibhit.
"The case of Varun Gandhi got wide publicity as the
Election Commission did something unprecedented. I was
surprised. I support Varun because EC has done an illegal
thing as the charge against him has not been proved," Advani
said.
Without naming actor Sanjay Dutt, who is set to contest
from Lucknow as Samajwadi Party candidate, he said "one who
has been convicted is contesting from Lucknow but the
Election Commission has not said anything."
Advani addressed election meetings for BJP candidates in
Padrauna and Maharajganj areas of Uttar Pradesh.
Some of the locals raised slogans of "Varun Gandhi
zindabad" during Advani`s speech.
One of the main BJP allies JD(U) has demanded legal
action against Gandhi and condemned the statements allegedly
made by him.
Asked for his reaction to JD(U) stand, Advani said he had
already made clear that he did not agree with the alleged
statements made by Varun Gandhi.
"I have already said that I did not agree with what
was stated in the CDs," he said.
Congress trying to hang Varun without trial
BJP today said that Congress was
trying to "hang Varun without a trial" while refusing gallows
to Parliament attack accused Mohd Afzal.
"Congress has gone mad, it is seeking to hang Varun
Gandhi without any proof or trial, while on the other hand it
is shielding and protecting men like Mohd Afzal," party
spokesperson Prakash Javadekar told reporters here today.
When asked on the party`s reaction to the Congress charge
of Varun Gandhi staging a drama to benefit PM Advani campaign,
Javadekar said,"I am amused at the Congress` charge."
"Whatever Varun Gandhi did today was to abide by the law.
Our party stands for justice and fair trail. Varun has denied
the speech which is shown by the channels and attributed to
him," Javadekar said.
The party spokesperson however declined to comment on
whether the Central leadership was vary of supporting the
Varun Gandhi episode. "It is all a media creation," he said.
As per sources, the party leadership had send clear
instructions to the state unit to avoid any association to the
arrest of Gandhi and had instructed not to use any party flag
during the assembly in support of Gandhi.
Gandhi today courted arrest in a CJM court in Pilibhit.
Bureau Report
