Advani skirts Varun controversy

August 21st, 2009 NEW DELHI - Expelled Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Jaswant Singh Friday triggered yet another controversy claiming that he covered up for L.K. Advani during the 2009 Lok Sabha campaign by concealing that the party's prime ministerial candidate knew of the terrorist-hostage swap during the 1999 plane hijacking.

April 18th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Bharatiya Janata Party leader Varun Gandhi met senior BJP leader Lal Krishna Advani on Saturday for the first time since his release from the Etah District Jail on Thursday. During their meeting, Advani reportedly told Varun to respect the undertaking he had put before the Supreme Court.

April 18th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Lok Sabha candidate from Pilibhit Varun Gandhi Saturday met the party's prime ministerial candidate L.K. Advani, who advised him to exercise restraint during the poll campaign, a party leader said.

April 18th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Prime Ministerial candidate Lal Krishna Advani has criticised the Congress for calling his party communal. "On issues like secularism and communalism the Congress party takes an indefensible stand.

March 31st, 2009 RANCHI - The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) prime ministerial candidate L K Advani condemned slapping of the National Security Act (NSA) on Varun Gandhi by the BSP Government headed by Mayawati. "I remember that the National Security Act (NSA) was used by this government during the emergency.

March 29th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader L.K. Advani Sunday defended Varun Gandhi, who has been arrested following his inflammatory speeches, and criticised the Election Commission for asking the party not to field him in the Lok Sabha elections.

March 29th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Breaking his silence over the alleged provocative speeches by Varun Gandhi, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader L.K. Advani Sunday asked his party candidates to exercise restraint while making election speeches and said the Election Commission had no right to ask any party not to field a particular candidate.

March 29th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The Congress party on Sunday criticised senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Lal Krishna Advani for challenging Congress president Sonia Gandhi for a political debate LIVE on television. " Has he (L K Advani) received a new light after five decades? There has been an established tradition of election debate since 1952 in this country.

March 25th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Congress party has said that Varun Gandhi's political future is not bright if he is taking communal lessons from BJP leader Lal Krishna Advani and Vishwa Hindu Parishadh chief Praveen Togadia. Varun Gandhi, BJP's MP from Pilibhit, is embroiled in a controversy for allegedly making derogatory comments about Muslims.

March 25th, 2009 MUMBAI - Beleaguered Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Varun Gandhi, in a spot over his alleged 'hate speeches', Wednesday thanked Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray for supporting him and endorsing his views. 'I thank Bal Thackeray for his support,' Varun has been quoted as saying in the Shiv Sena mouthpiece Saamna.

March 24th, 2009 LUCKNOW - As the controversy over Varun Gandhi's alleged anti-Muslim speech rages, the Dharma Raksha Manch (DRM), an off shoot of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Monday come out in support of the Bharatiya Janata Party candidate. 'We hail Varun for raising the flag of Hinduism.

March 23rd, 2009 NEW DELHI - Railway Minister and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Sunday said that if he were the country's home minister, Varun Gandhi would have been jailed for his speeches in Uttar Pradesh's Pilibhit constituency. 'Had I been the home minister, I would have put Varun Gandhi behind the bars,' Lalu Prasad told reporters here.

March 20th, 2009 NEW DELHI - With Varun Gandhi's alleged communal tirade fetching him unprecedented publicity, some leaders of his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) can't stop comparing him with his more famous cousin Rahul Gandhi. 'Let's send the hard-hitting Varun after Rahul,' quipped one at the party office, even though the BJP has officially distanced itself from Varun's alleged hate speech against Muslims in Pilibhit, Uttar Pradesh.

March 18th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Gandhi scion Varun Gandhi found himself isolated in the Sangh parivar Tuesday with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) going along with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on the controversy over his inflammatory campaign speeches. 'We have not seen the statement.

March 17th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Congress leaders Tuesday met Election Commission officials here to complain about Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) Pilibhit candidate Varun Gandhi and his alleged hate-Muslim speeches. 'Whatever Varun Gandhi has said is not only deplorable but deserves action by the Election Commission.