SC extends parole of Varun Gandhi till May 14

New Delhi, May 1 (PTI) The Supreme Court today extended the parole of BJP leader Varun Gandhi, booked under the National Security Act for his alleged hate speeches, till May 14.

The order was passed by a Bench headed by Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan before which the Uttar Pradesh government accused Varun of violating the undertaking furnished by him for securing the interim bail.

Senior advocate Harish Salve, appearing for state government alleged that Varun did not furnish his whereabouts to Pilibhit district magistrate on two occasions that is on April 16 to 20 and April 23 to 25.

He alleged that during this period, the BJP leader was in Uttar Pradesh, but did not inform the authorities in Pilibhit.

However, Varun's counsel and senior advocate Mukul Rohtagi denied the allegations and said he would respond to them.

Salve said that Varun had made a representation before the Central Government against invocation of the National Security Act which was rejected.

Rohtagi alleged that both the Central and State Governments have one agenda to keep Varun in jail.

29-year-old Varun was granted parole on April 16 for two weeks. PTI

Varun files undertaking in SC, promises not to make hate speeches

NEW DELHI: BJP leader Varun Gandhi, booked under National Security Act, on Monday filed his undertaking before the Supreme Court assuring it that he would not make any provocative and inflammatory speeches during his parole, which are likely to disturb communal harmony.

"The affidavit has been filed in terms of the direction of the Supreme Court," Varun's counsel Sandeep Kapur said.

A Bench headed by Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan had on April 16 dictated the nature of the undertaking which the BJP leader had to file.

The Bench had said Varun in his affidavit will say "that I undertake that I will not by words, either spoken or written, or by signs, or by visual representations or otherwise, promote or attempts to promote, on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, caste or community or any other grounds whatsoever, disharmony or feeling or enmity, hatred or ill-will between different religions , races....or any act which disturb public tranquility during the period of interim bail/parole".

The 29-year-old BJP candidate, who is to make his electoral debut from Pilbhit Lok Sabha seat in Uttar Prasdesh, was granted two weeks parole/interim bail on April 16 by the Supreme Court which had directed him to give undertakings to the police in Etah, where he was lodged in a jail, and to the apex court that he will desist from making "inflammatory and provocative speeches threatening to disturb public order".

The undertaking in terms of section 153A and 153B of the Indian Penal Code, which deals with the offences against public tranquility, was filed by Varun in accordance with the direction of the apex court, his advocate said.

Varun was released from Etah jail on the day when the apex court had granted him parole till May 1.

Varun was booked under NSA for his alleged anti-Muslim speeches of March 7 and 8 and for disturbing public order on March 28 while surrendering before a Pilibhit court for the cases registered against him for the speeches.

He had sought release from jail to file his nomination papers and for undertaking the campaign.

Source: TOI