TAKE LEGAL ACTION (against Varun Gandhi): NITISH (Kumar)
Nitish Kumar is the Chief Minister of populous Bihar province in alliance with Hindu fundamentalist Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP). Since Varun Gandhi’s vitriolic hate speech against Muslims, Indian Election Commission has requested BJP not to field him as its candidate from Pilibhit (UP)
BJP has refused to comply. In the meantime, there have been many voices demanding legal action against Varun Gandhi since his speech violates the written and implied spirit of the Indian Constitution. In this context, Nitish’s demand for legal action against Varun Gandhi is a significant development. Read more.. NEW DELHI: Bihar Chief Minister and Janata Dal (United) leader Nitish Kumar has demanded that legal action be taken against the Bharatiya Janata Party’s Pilibhit candidate, Varun Gandhi, for inciting communal hatred soon after the Allahabad High Court rejected Mr. Gandhi’s plea that the criminal case filed against him be quashed.
Although Mr. Kumar is running his government in Bihar in coalition with the BJP, he did not mince his words on the Varun Gandhi affair. “My clear opinion is that legal action should be taken against him [Varun Gandhi] … he cannot escape legal action … anybody in public life who makes such statements [as Varun Gandhi did] must face the law and action under it that must follow.” JD(U) [Janata dal United] president Sharad Yadav said he totally concurred with the Election Commission that Mr. Gandhi should not be a candidate in the Lok Sabha poll. However, BJP spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad said: “We do not appreciate the comments made by Mr. Nitish Kumar. We stand by our decision to field Varun Gandhi as the BJP candidate from Pilibhit.” Another party leader, Kiran Maheshwari, president of the BJP women’s wing, told The Hindu: “Theek hi to bola tha” (What Varun Gandhi had said was right.)
Special Correspondent, Indian Express (Submitted by Feroz Mehdi)