Now Varun Gandhi in dock for cash-for-vote

May 13th, 2009 LUCKNOW - Varun Gandhi, the controversial Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate from Pilibhit constituency in Uttar Pradesh, had heated arguments with some poll officials Wednesday, accusing them of being biased in favour of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) candidate. As Pilibhit went to the polls, Varun Gandhi alleged that some election officials at the Khananka polling booth in Bisalpur subdistrict were asking people to vote in favour of BSP candidate Ganga Charan Rajput.

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 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 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.

March 27th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Friday backed its controversial candidate Varun Gandhi, in the dock for his alleged communal speeches, and indicated that he could go ahead and court arrest after he withdrew his bail plea from the Delhi High Court. 'There is definitely an element of political vendetta against Varun Gandhi.

March 25th, 2009 LUCKNOW - A court in Uttar Pradesh Wednesday turned down the anticipatory bail plea of Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) candidate in Pilibhit Varun Gandhi, in the dock for his alleged communally charged campaign speeches. The verdict was given by an Allahabad High Court bench comprising Justices Imtiyaz Murtaza and S.C.

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 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 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 24th, 2009 LUCKNOW - The Dharma Raksha Manch (DRM), a Hindu group affiliated to the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), Tuesday said that the Gandhi family has been absolved of all its 'sins' by the alleged anti-Muslim speech given by estranged member Varun Gandhi. Referring to Varun's speech in Pilibhit, DRM co-convener Hans Das said: 'Varun has freed Gandhis from all sins.' 'Though Varun belongs to the same Gandhi family, his outlook is quite different as he always thinks of the welfare of the Hindu community,' Das said at a programme organised here by the organisation.

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 - Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Thursday said it was'unfortunate' if Varun Gandhi made hate speeches that have drawn strong reactions across the nation. Talking to reporters at the Defence Investiture Ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan, the prime minister said: 'It is unfortunate if Varun Gandhi had made these comments.' Varun Gandhi, 29, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate from Pilibhit, is in a midst of a raging controversy over his alleged hate speech against Muslims.

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.