RSS follows BJP line on Varun Gandhi controversy
March 17th, 2009 - 7:24 pm ICT by IANS
New Delhi, March 17 (IANS) Gandhi scion Varun Gandhi found himself isolated in the Sangh parivar Tuesday with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) going along with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on the controversy over his inflammatory campaign speeches.
“We have not seen the statement. We are all in Nagpur now. Whatever the BJP has said is fine,” RSS spokesperson Ram Madhav told IANS over the phone from Nagpur.
While addressing an election meeting March 6, Varun Gandhi, who is a BJP candidate in Uttar Pradesh’s Pilibhit constituency, allegedly said: “If somebody lifts a hand against Hindus, or thinks they are weak, there is nobody behind them, then I swear on the (Bhagvad) Gita that I will cut off that hand.”
Though Varun Gandhi has said the tape was doctored, BJP leader Shahnawaz Hussain said he should apologise for his hate-Muslim remarks that go against the party’s credo of “harmony and unity”.
“We are of the strong belief that Varun Gandhi should apologise. The BJP dissociates itself from his remarks,” Shahnawaz Hussain, who is also the party’s spokesperson in parliament, told reporters here.
“This (Gandhi’s remarks) is not what the party stands for,” Hussain asserted, adding that the party would consider action against him after seeing the tapes of his speeches.
- Varun must apologise for communal remarks, says BJP (Lead) - Mar 17, 2009
- India's 'other Gandhi scion' Varun booked for stirring communal cauldron (Roundup) - Mar 17, 2009
- Varun must apologise, action after seeing tapes: BJP (Second Lead) - Mar 17, 2009
- Criminal case filed against Varun for inflammatory speeches (Lead) - Mar 17, 2009
- Varun Gandhi says CD doctored, BJP distances itself (Roundup) - Mar 18, 2009
- BJP sends books on RSS to Rahul Gandhi - Oct 07, 2010
- Menaka says forensic report on Varun Gandhi's hate CD 'one sided' - Jun 21, 2009
- Sangh Parivar should behave responsibly: Digvijay Singh - Sep 29, 2010
- 'BJP giving moral support to Ramdev campaign' (Lead) - Jun 04, 2011
- Rahul's remarks leave BJP, RSS fuming (Roundup) - Oct 06, 2010
- BJP hits out at Digvijay Singh for Ramdev-RSS remarks - Jun 04, 2011
- Varun Gandhi gets apex court notice for poll speeches - Dec 02, 2011
- BJP slams Digvijay for remark on RSS terror involvement - Jul 16, 2011
- Stop tirade against Sangh Parivar: Yeddyurappa to Congress - Dec 20, 2010
- Sonia, Rahul to be invited for Varun's wedding: Maneka - Sep 27, 2010
Tags: bhagvad gita, bharatiya janata party, bjp candidate, campaign speeches, constituency, controversy, harmony, hindus, hussain, march 17, New Delhi, ram madhav, rashtriya swayamsevak sangh, sangh parivar, scion, shahnawaz, spokesperson, strong belief, uttar pradesh, varun gandhi
