Varun Gandhi files nomination from Pilibhit

PILIBHIT: BJP candidate Varun Gandhi, who is on a two week parole after being jailed for alleged hate- speeches, on Wednesday filed his nomination papers to fight the Lok Sabha elections from Pilibhit constituency.

Gandhi, the 29-year-old new Hindutva poster-boy of the BJP, was accompanied by his mother Maneka Gandhi while filing his papers at the district magistrate office here for the elections to be held on May 13 in this seat.

A large number of his supporters and mediapersons were seen outside the office as the BJP leader, who is contesting against his uncle and Congress leader P M Singh, filed the nomination.

Tight security arrangements were made near the DM office to prevent any untoward incident.

He has kept the event low-key as the district administration denied permission for a procession of his supporters to accompany him while filing of nominations.

Gandhi, grandson of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and son of Sanjay Gandhi, is making his electoral debut with the Lok Sabha polls.

A controversy raged over his candidature following his anti-Muslim speeches during campaign in Pilibhit and was arrested under National Securities Act (NSA).

Earlier, addressing a public meeting in Nawabganj before filing the nominations, Gandhi said "non-violence is his religion" and his country taught him to respect and love others.

Gandhi claimed that other candidates were contesting the elections on money power while he was fighting it with "people's power".

"Whatever may come, I will stand rock-solid with you," he added.

Gandhi spent 20 days in jail before the Supreme Court granted a two-week parole on the condition he will not make any inflammatory speeches during the elections.

Besides being booked under the stringent NSA for hate speeches in Pilibhit, which he claims he never made, he faces charges of attempt to murder, rioting and voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from doing his duty.