Varun Gandhi has to prove tapes were doctored: Poll panel
March 19th, 2009 - 7:54 pm ICT by IANS
Kolkata, March 19 (IANS) Chief Election Commissioner N. Gopalaswami Thursday said it is for Varun Gandhi to prove that the tape, which allegedly show him delivering inflammatory speeches, was ‘doctored’.
“We did not prepare the tapes, they were broadcast by a television channel. We have taken it from them,” Gopalaswami told reporters.
“We have seen the video that we got. It is for Varun Gandhi to prove that they were doctored. We are not in the business of probing other people’s case,” he said.
Asked if the Election Commission will allow Varun Gandhi to contest the elections, the CEC said that “that question will only arise once the nominations start”.
Varun, the 29-year-old son of five-time Pilibhit MP Maneka Gandhi, has created a storm by adopting a fanatical pro-Hindu stance in his speeches.
An unfazed Varun Gandhi asserted Wednesday that he was a “Gandhi, a Hindu and an Indian” and insisted that the CD showing him making inflammatory speeches was doctored.
The poll panel served notice to Varun Gandhi, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Rajnath Singh and Uttar Pradesh BJP chief Ramapati Ram Tripathi to explain why they “disregarded and violated the provisions of the model code of conduct”.
Asked about the action taken by the commission against Varun Gandhi and the BJP, Gopalaswami said: “Regarding Varun we have already taken action against him. As far as BJP is concerned, we will decide when they reply to our notice.”
- India's 'other Gandhi scion' Varun booked for stirring communal cauldron (Roundup) - Mar 17, 2009
- BJP backs Varun for Pilibhit as he gets anticipatory bail (Second Lead) - Mar 20, 2009
- EC orders video tracking of Varun Gandhi, serves notice on him, BJP (Lead) - Mar 18, 2009
- Varun replies to poll panel notice, gets anticipatory bail (Lead) - Mar 20, 2009
- Forensic report on Varun's speech one-sided: Maneka Gandhi - Jun 21, 2009
- Varun tapes not doctored, has more hate content: Gopalaswami - Apr 18, 2009
- Menaka says forensic report on Varun Gandhi's hate CD 'one sided' - Jun 21, 2009
- High court notice to Varun Gandhi in defamation case - Jul 28, 2010
- Maneka Gandhi refuses to comment on son Varun - Mar 17, 2009
- EC orders video tracking Varun Gandhi's rallies - Mar 18, 2009
- Notice to Varun Gandhi for defamatory remarks during Lok Sabha polls - Jul 28, 2010
- Criminal case filed against Varun for inflammatory speeches (Lead) - Mar 17, 2009
- Varun Gandhi gets apex court notice for poll speeches - Dec 02, 2011
- Petition seeks Maneka's disqualification too - Jul 02, 2009
- Varun must apologise, action after seeing tapes: BJP (Second Lead) - Mar 17, 2009
Tags: bharatiya janata party, bjp chief, bjp president, cec, chief election commissioner, code of conduct, election commission, elections, hindu, maneka gandhi, march 19, model code, mp, poll, provisions, rajnath singh, speeches, television channel, uttar pradesh, varun gandhi
