By IANS,
New Delhi : Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Varun Gandhi filed a caveat, or a special lawsuit in the Supreme Court pleading that he should be heard if the Uttar Pradesh government approaches it challenging revocation of the National Security Act (NSA) against him.
Varun Gandhi, contesting from the Pilibhit parliamentary constituency in Uttar Pradesh that goes to polls Wednesday (May 13), said this in a caveat filed in the apex court’s registry.
A caveat entitles a person to be heard by the court before it passes any order in a lawsuit, likely to be filed, by anybody against his interests.
The Uttar Pradesh Advisory Board, a judicial forum under the Allahabad High Court, had scrapped May 8 the state government’s decision to invoke the NSA against Varun Gandhi, saying that the step was too harsh.
The board had been set up to examine the legality of invocation of the NSA against Varun Gandhi and his detention under it for allegedly making some communal speeches against the Muslim community in an election rally.
The board, comprising of three high court judges, had nixed the state government’s decision saying it had failed in giving enough evidence in support of its contention that Varun Gandhi was a threat to society and that he be jailed under NSA.
The board had said there weren’t “plausible and convincing” grounds for invoking NSA.
Soon after the board scrapped invocation of the NSA against Varun Gandhi, the state government had announced that it would challenge the board’s decision in the apex court, where it is expected to approach Tuesday.
Detained March 28 under NSA, Varun Gandhi had earlier moved the Supreme Court, challenging invocation of NSA against him. The apex court had released him mid-April to enable him to campaign in his constituency.