In fresh trouble for BJP MP Varun Gandhi, his Congress rival from Pilibhit seat and estranged uncle VM Singh has sought permission from the state government to file a case against him in connection with an alleged hate speech.
Singh, who on Monday met Principal Home Secretary Fateh Bahadur Singh along with "unedited CD evidence" of Varun's campaign speech of March 6 in Deshnagar locality of Pilibhit, told PTI on Wednesday that he as an individual has sought permission to file the case under section 196 of CrPC.
Singh alleged that besides "a personal and derogatory attack on him, Varun had also referred to Sikhs and Muslims as Khalistanis and Pakistanis whose support he claimed he did not want".
Reacting to Singh's charge, 29-year-old Varun said, "I am half Sikh myself, my mother is a Sikh. How can I say such
things? This is complete nonsense and a non-issue. I won by a margin of nearly three lakh votes in a constituency where 20 per cent of the population is Sikh."
He said he did not want to comment any further on the allegations. The BJP MP is already facing criminal charges filed by authorities in Pilibhit for alleged hate speeches during the poll campaign.
{{/usCountry}}He said he did not want to comment any further on the allegations. The BJP MP is already facing criminal charges filed by authorities in Pilibhit for alleged hate speeches during the poll campaign.
{{/usCountry}}Singh said under the section "if an individual wants to lodge a case, he has to take permission of the state as an inflammatory or a hate speech is a crime against the state.
"The case would have been different had Varun simply used abusive language...I could have gone ahead and filed a defamation case."