UP govt action against Varun justified: Abdullah

J & K chief minister Omar Abdullah says the booking of the BJP's Pilibhit nominee Varun Gandhi under the NSA by the Uttar Pradesh Government for his inflammatory speech in his Lok Sabha constituency is justified.

Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah on Monday said the booking of the BJP's Pilibhit nominee Varun Gandhi under the NSA by the Uttar Pradesh Government for his inflammatory speech in his Lok Sabha constituency is justified.

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"The UP government has taken a strong stand on this (Varun's inflammatory speech at Pilibhit). I think it is good. It should teach everybody wishing to use religion as a fuel for this sort of politics that there is no room for hate speeches", Abdullah told reporters in Srinagar on Monday.

Describing Varun Gandhi's utterances in Pilibhit as not only extremely "unfortunate" but also totally unexpected, he said, regardless of the BJP leader's party affiliation, he would not have expected a young 27-year-old from a family with its roots in Kashmir from the Nehru side to have such "strong communal" views.

"What surprised me even more is that he not only targetted the Muslims but also the Sikhs despite having Sikh blood in him from his mother's side", he said.