BJP leader Varun Gandhi's mother and MP from Pilibhit, Maneka Gandhi who visited the jail and met her son, lent a communal touch to the entire incident by alleging that 45 people were injured in police firing including 25 by a Muslim police inspector.
Turning it into a political spectacle, Varun Gandhi on Saturday surrendered before a local court and was sent to jail in a criminal case against him for hate speeches on a day when his supporters fought pitched battles with police leaving over 20 injured.
Varun, who arrived in Pilibhit this morning to a tumultuous welcome from a large number of BJP workers and saffron activists, was arrested and later remanded to judicial custody till Monday by Chief Judicial Magistrate Vipin Kumar. His bail plea will come up for hearing on Monday.
But shortly after the brief court proceedings, the area around the district jail where he was taken, was turned into a battle zone with unruly activists of the Sangh Parivar attacking officials and attempting to block police from taking Gandhi to the jail.
Police fired rubber bullets and lathicharged the activists who indulged in heavy stone throwing. Police also returned the missiles and the situation was tense till late in the evening.
{{/usCountry}}Police fired rubber bullets and lathicharged the activists who indulged in heavy stone throwing. Police also returned the missiles and the situation was tense till late in the evening.
{{/usCountry}}The state government said in Lucknow that police used force to control the situation after BJP workers indulged in unprovoked violence.