Mayawati’s move against Varun Gandhi vindictive: BJP

May 9th, 2009 PILIBHIT - A day after a court panel recommended revocation of the National Security Act (NSA) provisions against him, Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) Varun Gandhi asked the electorate of Pilibhit to rise against the 'anti-poor' Mayawati government of Uttar Pradesh. Addressing voters in Puranpur in Pilibhit, which goes to the polls in the last phase May 13, Varun Gandhi said: 'We should rise against the Mayawati government as she is against the poor and those promoting nationalism.' 'Everyone knows I do whatever I say even if I have to go to jail,' Varun Gandhi said, as his supporters chanted 'Jai Sri Ram'.

May 6th, 2009 LUCKNOW - Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati Wednesday said Varun Gandhi had 'no moral right to use Gandhi as his surname' because of his 'violent behaviour'. 'A person with violent behaviour can never be a Gandhi,' Mayawati said referring to Mahatama Gandhi 'who was the greatest exponent of the doctrine of ahimsa (non-violence)'.

April 22nd, 2009 PILIBHIT - Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Varun Gandhi, who spent about 20 days in prison for his reported hate speeches, Wednesday said he was not afraid of going to jail again. Varun Gandhi, who is in Pilibhit to file his nomination papers, said this while addressing a gathering in the city's Nawabganj locality where he stopped to inaugurate a newly constructed BJP office.

April 16th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Rajnath Singh Thursday night welcomed the release on parole of the party's Pilibhit candidate Varun Gandhi and said the young leader would 'certainly' campaign for the party. Varun Gandhi, who was released from Etah Jail in Uttar Pradesh in the evening, reached the national capital after 10 p.m.

April 16th, 2009 ETAH - Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) Varun Gandhi Thursday walked out of Etah jail after 20 days of being behind bars for his allegedly inflammatory campaign speeches. Varun walked out at around 6.30 p.m.

April 14th, 2009 LUCKNOW - Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) national general sercretary Satish Misra Tuesday justified filing charges against Bharatiya Janata Party leader Varun Gandhi under the National Security Act (NSA) for his hate speeches and criticised both the BJP and the Congress for opposing the move. Reacting to the Supreme Court's view that invoking the deterrent law against Varun Gandhi was disproportionate to his offence, Misra told a press conference here: 'We are going to reiterate our stand more forcefully before the apex court.

April 4th, 2009 LUCKNOW - Asserting that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was firmly behind Varun Gandhi, party general secretary Arun Jaitley Saturday said Uttar Pradesh's ruling Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) would 'pay a heavy price' if the 'vindictive' charges against the young leader were not dropped. 'The steps taken by (Chief Minister) Mayawati against Varun Gandhi are disproportionate and vindictive.

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 25th, 2009 MUMBAI - Bharatiya Janata Party candidate for the Pilibhit constituency Varun Gandhi, who has been accused of making inflammatory anti-Muslim remarks, has thanked Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray for supporting him for his speech. "I am overwhelmed by his support.

March 25th, 2009 PUDUCHERRY - Stating that he doesn't 'carry hate and anger', Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi said Wednesday that he was 'surprised' by his cousin Varun Gandhi's reported inflammatory campaign speeches. 'I am surprised by his views.

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 LUCKNOW - Neck-deep in controversies already, Varun Gandhi is now faced with yet another charge - of distributing money in his constituency. Taking cognizance of a TV footage showing Varun Gandhi distributing money in the Pilibhit constituency, the Election Commission Thursday issued a notice to him.

March 20th, 2009 LUCKNOW - In what may be dubbed as a fresh move to punish Varun Gandhi, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate for the Pilibhit Lok Sabha seat, for his diatribe against the minority community, District Magistrate M.P. Agrawal registered a fresh case against him a few hours before being transferred out Wednesday.

March 20th, 2009 KOLKATA - Chief Election Commissioner N. Gopalaswami Thursday said it is for Varun Gandhi to prove that the tape, which allegedly show him delivering inflammatory speeches, was 'doctored'.

March 18th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Wednesday said it has dissociated itself from the statements attributed to its Pilibhit candidate Varun Gandhi. 'The BJP disapproves and dissociates itself from the statements attributed to Mr Varun Gandhi,' party spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad told a news conference here.