BJP disowns Varun, says hate speech not party agenda

PARTIAL DENIAL: The BJP has requested the EC to get the CD of Varun Gandhi's speech examined.

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New Delhi: The BJP is caught in a bind. After Varun Gandhi's controversial speech in Philibhit, the party can neither officially disown him nor support his communal remarks. It's now playing safe by distancing itself from the party's young turk.

The BJP says that Varun Gandhi’s hate speech towards the non-hindus are his own and that he wasn't tutored but the party is not considering dumping him.

In all likelihood, Varun will even get the party symbol. Only the views as expressed in the Pilibhit speech aren't shared by the BJP leadership, at least, officially.

BJP spokesperson Prakash Javdekar said, “In our reply to the EC, we have requested the EC to get the CD examined with the help of the police. If the CD is found to be correct, this statement is contrary to the views that the party stands for.”

The written submission of the BJP to the Election Commission argued saying, `The party can't be held responsible for comments made by a party member. The party member has expressed views contrary to the views that the party stands for. The Election Commission should endeavour to obtain the original copy of the speech and get the same examined by appropriate forensic authorities.''

Meanwhile, the Delhi High Court has also granted anticipatory bail to Varun Gandhi till March 27.

On Friday, Uttar Pradesh officials reached Varun's residence and handed over a copy of the CD to him.

Varun Gandhi reiterated the CD was a doctored one and besides, he isn't yet a party nominee, so the Model Code of Conduct doesn't apply to him. Besides, he argued, he didn't want to incite communal feelings, he was only hitting out at communal forces.

In his reply to the Election Commission, Varuin Gandhi may have disowned the controversial CD of his speech from Pilibhit, but it has certainly given ideas to many in the BJP. They are now wondering if Varun's agenda should be entirely discarded, this election season.