Varun Gandhi not ‘hate monger’

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Lucknow: BJP MP Varun Gandhi has been acquitted in the second of two cases that accused him of delivering hate speeches in his constituency Pilibhit during the 2009 Lok Sabha elections.
He was last week acquitted by the  Pilibhit court in the first case registered against him in the same matter.
The 51 odd prosecution witnesses did not indict him for delivering speeches to provoke communal hatred in the first case and since the same witnesses were named for the second case also, the acquittal did not come as a surprise.
Even journalists who had broadcast the two alleged ‘hate speeches’ were also unable to furnish the unedited and original footage before the court.
Chief judicial magistrate Abdul Qayum cleared Gandhi of the charges in the case for which the BJP leader had been jailed and had the National Security Act slapped against him.
It may be recalled that Gandhi had to spend about 20 days in jail before he was released on bail. He went on to win the election from Pilibhit with a huge margin.
In a statement, 33-year-old Varun expressed his faith in the judiciary. “This has been a hard-fought battle for justice. I welcome the court’s decision in vindicating me. I am  grateful to those who stood by and believed in me through this difficult time”, he said.