Varun Gandhi to court arrest today

NEW DELHI: In a sudden change of strategy, Varun Gandhi, BJP���s candidate from Pilibhit, has decided not to approach the Delhi High Court to seek an extension of the anticipatory bail granted to him last Friday, and instead court arrest in the district headquarters of his constituency.

The Delhi High Court had, last Friday, restrained Uttar Pradesh police from arresting Varun for allegedly making inflammatory speeches until March 27. Rather than moving the court for an extension, the young BJP leader has now decided to go to Pilibhit on Friday to court arrest.

The move has clearly been guided by Varun���s desire to turn the political situation to his advantage. By surrendering before the judiciary, he wants to send out the message that he is a law-abiding citizen and gain popular sympathy. The BJP candidate has already gone on record claiming he is a victim of a political conspiracy. The saffron outfit, after its initial prevarication, decided to shield him.

The Allahabad High Court had on Wednesday dismissed his petition seeking the quashing of FIRs registered against him by the Pilibhit district authorities for allegedly making inflammatory speeches. The scion of the Gandhi-Nehru family had claimed innocence and maintains that the video footages of his speeches had been doctored.

The claim was rejected by the Election Commission, which, in its order passed on Sunday, found him guilty of delivering the hate speeches, and advised BJP to drop him from its panel of Lok Sabha candidates.

After its initial reticence, BJP decided to back him to the hilt, rejecting the poll panel���s suggestion. It maintained that the commission had overstepped its brief, and had no locus standi to seek his removal as the party���s candidate.