By IANS,
Lucknow : The Congress nominee from Pilibhit in Uttar Pradesh Sunday blamed the district administration for the drama and violence that followed Varun Gandhi’s arrest and said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) nominee would lose from the constituency as the people there have always believed in communal harmony.
“Pilibhit has always been a peaceful place where people have traditionally believed in communal harmony. And people like Varun who try divisive methods to serve their political goals can never get support of the peave loving population of this place,” said V.M. Singh, who is related to Varun’s mother Maneka Gandhi.
“No matter how much the BJP uses Varun to play up its old Hindutva card, he is going to lose the Lok Sabha election from here,” Singh told IANS over telephone from Pilibhit.
“I fail to understand how the administration allowed BJP to systematically violate prohibitory orders under section 144, whereby assembly of four or more persons was banned every where in the district,” said Singh, accusing the district officials of being “complacent” and “hand in glove” with the BJP.
“On the other hand I was not even permitted to hold a peace march in the town.”
He said that the Uttar Pradesh government must act against Maneka Gandhi too.
“Even after Varun was been sent to jail amid violence and firing, Maneka left no stone unturned to fuel trouble by accusing a local Muslim police official of having opened unprovoked firing at the cops,” Singh pointed out.
“And let me tell you, that particular Muslim officer was not even on duty on the day of the violence,” Singh claimed.
A Pilibhit court sent Varun Gandhi to jail until Monday for allegedly making hate speeches amid clashes between party workers and the police Saturday. The court ruling came shortly after the BJP candidate from Pilibhit said he was “ready to go to jail” over the reported anti-Muslim speeches that he denies having made.