Varun Gandhi released from jail in UP

Etah: Varun Gandhi, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader jailed for his hate speeches, was on Thursday released from a prison in Etah after the Supreme Court granted him two-week parole earlier in the day.

IANS reports Varun walked out at around 1830 hrs IST to a tumultuous welcome from party supporters. His mother and BJP leader Maneka Gandhi was there to receive him. Immediately after his release, Varun and Maneka left for Agra in a car

The apex court earlier in the day ordered Varun's "forthwith release" for two weeks to enable him to file his nomination for Uttar Pradesh's Pilibhit Lok Sabha constituency and campaign for the polls.

Within hours, Maneka, who has represented Pilibhit in the Lok Sabha five times, rushed to Etah from neighbouring Aonla constituency where she was campaigning for herself.

Maneka, a former central minister, was ushered inside the jail premises along with her personal aide, party workers waiting outside tried to keep up the tempo by intermittently raising slogans of "Varun Gandhi Zindabad" and "Maneka Gandhi Zindabad".

Varun's speeches in Dalchand locality of Pilibhit town, about 300 km from Lucknow, March 7 and at Barkhera village March 8, targeting the minority community, had created a controversy. He was arrested March 28.

The 29-year-old politician was charged with provisions under the stringent NSA the next day as his arrest came amid violence by his supporters who also clashed with police.

He was initially lodged in Pilibhit jail but moved to Etah jail for security reasons.

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