Varun’s speeches contrary to secular democracy: Cong

Terming BJP Lok Sabha candidate Varun Gandhi’s anti-Muslim speeches as contrary to secular democracy, Congress today said BJP will be seen as a co-conspirator if it does not take action against him.

Terming BJP Lok Sabha candidate Varun Gandhi’s anti-Muslim speeches as contrary to secular democracy, Congress on Wednesday said BJP will be seen as a co-conspirator if it does not take action against him.

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Union Minister Kapil Sibal said when cognisance has been taken by the election commission that a prima facie offence has been committed, whether Varun denies it or not is not relevant.

“The leadership of BJP will take action because if they don’t, then it will be seen that they are the co-conspirators in this,” he said.

Alleging the speech was aimed at polarising votes, Sibal said, “I am not concerned with the nature and quality of the speech. It is abhorrent, it is contrary to the basic foundations of our secular democracy”.

BJP’s candidate from Pilibhit is in the eye of a storm over his alleged anti-Muslim speeches at a recent rally.

“I don’t think people of the country are going to be taken in by whatever the young Varun Gandhi would have to say because the whole country is aware that it is the BJP which practices hate politics,” party spokesman Manish Tewari said.

Tewari said the election commission would not have intervened if it was a political conspiracy as is being made out to be by Gandhi.

“This means that they (EC) are prima facie convinced about the veracity of the CD,” he said.