Lucknow: Defending BJP MP Varun Gandhi on
the hate speech issue, senior party leader Rajnath Singh on Friday
said his prosecution sanctioned by the Uttar Pradesh
government in this connection is politically motivated.
"The said speech of Varun neither led to any communal
tension nor did it whip up religious sentiments anywhere...The
prosecution sanctioned by the state government is politically
motivated," Singh told PTI here.
He expressed confidence that the young MP would come out
clean in the case.
More than 20 months after Varun made communal remarks
during an election campaign in Pilibhit, the Uttar Pradesh
government yesterday gave its sanction for his prosecution.
Of the three criminal cases registered against Varun, the
first relates to an alleged anti-Muslim speech he delivered at
a public rally in Barkhera village of Pilibhit district on
March 8, 2009, for which a criminal case was registered on
March 17 the same year.
The second case was registered over the same incident at
the behest of the Election Commission, which took serious
cognisance of that hate speech.
For yet another hate speech Varun delivered at Desh Nagar
locality in Pilibhit town on March 7, a criminal case was
registered on March 19.
On 2G spectrum issue, the former BJP president said there
was no question of going back on the demand for a Joint
Parliamentary Committee probe.
"We would not settle for anything less than the JPC probe
as the scam involves lakhs of crores of rupees," he said.
PTI
