Varun faces ‘threat for speaking as true Indian’

July 8th, 2009 NEW DELHI - After refusing to upgrade the security of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Varun Gandhi to the top Z plus category, Home Minister P. Chidambaram Tuesday said the level of security provided to him was being periodically reviewed.

April 8th, 2009 LUCKNOW - Alleging that Railways Minister Lalu Prasad poses a threat to her son Varun Gandhi's life, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP from Pilbhit Maneka Gandhi Wednesday complained to the police. Her written complaint was submitted to the senior superintendent of police, Badaun district, N.

April 6th, 2009 PATNA - Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Monday said that had he been the country's home minister he would have run a 'roller' over Varun Gandhi for his hate speeches against Muslims and bothered about the consequences later. Speaking at an election rally in Kishanganj in Bihar, Lalu Prasad said: 'If I were the country's home minister, and if Varun had said this (inflammatory speeches), then I would have run a roller over his chest, and thought about the consequences later.' He was addresssing a rally for the RJD's Kishanganj candidate, Union Minister Taslimuddin, who is the sitting MP from the constituency.

March 31st, 2009 NEW DELHI - If Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Varun Gandhi, behind bars for alleged hate speeches, cannot contest from Pilibhit, his mother and former minister Maneka Gandhi will fight the Lok Sabha elections from there, party sources said Tuesday. Maintaining that all options were open for Varun Gandhi, the sources said if all measures fail, Maneka Gandhi will contest from Pilibhit, from where she has been elected to the Lok Sabha five times, as well as from Aonla, the new constituency she shifted to.

March 30th, 2009 PILIBHIT - Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Varun Gandhi got bail here Monday in criminal cases against him, but will remain behind bars as he also faces charges under the stringent National Security Act (NSA). A court here granted bail to the young leader in two cases filed against him for allegedly communal and inflammatory speeches he made in the run-up to the elections and violence by his supporters when he was arrested here Saturday.

March 29th, 2009 LUCKNOW - Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Varun Gandhi faces charges under the stringent National Security Act (NSA) for his reported hate speeches ahead of Lok Sabha elections, top Uttar Pradesh officials said here Sunday. Gandhi, whom the BJP has named as its candidate for the Pilibhit constituency, was arrested and jailed in Pilibhit, some 250 km from here, Saturday for his reportedly communal speeches.

March 28th, 2009 PILIBHIT - Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Varun Gandhi, who on Saturday moved a surrender plea in Pilibhit's local court, has been sent to two-day judicial custody. The application, which was moved by his lawyers before Chief Judicial Magistrate Vipin Kumar, will be taken up on Monday.

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 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 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 21st, 2009 NEW DELHI - Varun Gandhi remains the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate from Pilibhit in Uttar Pradesh despite being hauled up by the Election Commission for his allegedly communal speeches. 'Varun Gandhi is our candidate from Pilibhit.

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 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 - Slamming Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Varun Gandhi for his alleged communal speech and his unapologetic stand, union minister Kapil Sibal Wednesday said there was no place for people like him in politics and he should be arrested. The BJP candidate from Pilibhit constituency in Uttar Pradesh, who is facing a criminal case for his alleged hate-Muslim campaign speech, should be arrested, said Sibal.

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.