DNA India

May 2, 2010

Amid the showering of marigold petals from rooftops and cheers of “Jai Shri Ram” by supporters, Varun Gandhi, the national secretary of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has pushed the acceleration pedal in Uttar Pradesh (UP) to revive the party in the state.

Walking through the meandering lanes of UP’s villages, Varun, dressed in a spotless white churidar-kurta, is trying to create a roadmap to play a bigger role in state politics. This was his fourth rally in UP and he is planning 15 more. The next rally is scheduled in Aligarh on June 2.

Squarely blaming the Mayawati government for being insensitive towards the needs of people and rampant corruption, Varun promised to bring “Ram Rajya” in the state if his party won the elections.

“How long will the people of UP tolerate the Mayawati government? She is facing corruption charges herself. Do you think she will try to protect you? It is time that people of this state start getting ‘uttar’ (answer) for their questions and the state truly becomes ‘Uttam Pradesh’,” said Varun, while addressing a huge gathering of supporters in Sujanganj, a village near Allahabad.
His listeners had travelled several miles in extreme heat to get a glimpse of their leader.

Hoping to further consolidate his popularity among the younger generation in the state, Varun promised the villagers that if the BJP is able to form the government, each youngster would get an interest-free loan of Rs10 lakh to start his or her own business.

“Everyone talks about the youth these days, but no one really does anything for them. If the BJP is able to form the government, we will start a new scheme and would give interest-free loans of Rs10 lakh to youngsters,” said Varun as the crowd stood up and shouted his name in appreciation.

Click here to see pictures from the Rally

CNN IBN
March 16, 2010

From being jailed last year, to now being felicitated as a national secretary of the BJP, the wheel has turned a full circle for BJP's Gandhi - Varun Gandhi. In Nitin Gadkari's new team that was announced on Tuesday, the most talked about name was that of Varun.

BJP's logic in making Varun as a secretary with special focus on Uttar Pradesh is to project him as a parallel to his cousin Rahul Gandhi, who has already made a huge impact in the key political state. Sources say that Varun could even be given the post of UP BJP president just ahead of next assembly elections in 2012. The choice of Varun is probably due to a rethink in the RSS which had last year praised Rahul Gandhi for his visits to villages. The RSS perhaps now sees Varun as the perfect counter to his cousin.

India Today
Feb 6, 2010

Attacking the ruling parties at the Centre and in Uttar Pradesh simultaneously over soaring prices, the BJP MP from Pilibhit on Saturday called Union Agriculture Minister "Ravan" and state Chief Minister Mayawati "Shurpanakha", the sister of Lanka king as per Hindu mythology.

Times of India
Feb 24 2010

Uttar Pradesh’s administration of Saharanpur district did not provide permission to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Varun Gandhi for holding a rally next month due to deficient security.

BJP is furious regarding this issue and said that they will go ahead with the rally as it was arranged on Chief Minister Mayawati’s directions.

Times of India
Jan 10, 2010

Does the RSS see Varun Gandhi as a “saffron Rahul''? The young MP from Pilibhit, who whipped up frenzy with his Hindutva war cry during the last parliamentary poll, is being propped up by the Sangh Parivar if talk in saffron circles is to be believed.

There may be reasons why the RSS sees him as a savior. A public rally addressed by him last month in Sultanpur proved a bigger draw than any of the recent events hosted by BJP. Varun now has eight similar meetings lined up over the next two-three months in Bulandshahr, Jaunpur, Ambedkarnagar, Unnao, Sitapur, Saharanpur, Kushinagar and Balrampur.

Indian Express
Dec 21, 2009

To usher in more accountability within the political system, BJP parliamentarian from Pilibhit Varun Gandhi said people should take note of the work done by their elected representatives.

Addressing a public meeting in Sultanpur on Sunday, Varun recalled his father Sanjay Gandhi’s association with Sultanpur. “He considered this place as his home and had a dream for this place. I will devote more time here,” he said. Sanjay was an MP from Amethi in 1980.

Although Sultanpur is a separate Lok Sabha constituency, the Amethi Lok Sabha seat, represented by his cousin Rahul Gandhi, falls under the jurisdiction of Sultanpur district. Varun, however, did not speak about Rahul and Congress.

A source in the BJP said: “The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh was behind Varun’s meeting in Sultanpur. Though no senior leader of the state BJP attend the meeting, important functionaries of the BJP district unit actively participated.”

Party state president Ramapati Tripathi said: “Senior leaders are busy holding their programmes in different districts. The district unit was asked to organise Varun’s meeting in Sultanpur. We feel this meet will expand the party base.”

Varun’s meeting comes at a time when the Youth Congress has undertaken massive efforts to mobilise the youth. Blaming nepotism and casteism, he said youngsters have lost their way and were not getting a chance in politics.

India Today
Dec 11, 2009

Bharatiya Janata Party MP from Pilibhit Varun Gandhi will visit Sultanpur to address a public meeting on December 20.

While the party sees the visit as a tool to revive itself in the Congress domain, the young MP terms it as a visit to his late father's place. Sanjay Gandhi was an MP from Amethi, which is a part of the Sultanpur district.

The Daily Telegraph
BY Dean Nelson
May 8, 2009

Sanjay Gandhi, who was the anointed successor of the former prime minister Indira Gandhi until his death in 1980, was blamed for a policy which forced thousands of Indian men and some women to be sterilised to meet government quotas. Some are believed to have died following the surgery.

Mr Gandhi said that while the methods used by the government at that time were "roughshod" and considered by many to be "too forceful", he still believed India's population "explosion" required urgent action.

DNA India
April 28, 2009

Even if all the "communal" remarks attributed to Varun Gandhi are indeed correct,the refusal of the Congress-led UPA government to revoke the prosecution of Varun Gandhi under the draconian National Security Act invoked by the Mayawati government in Uttar Pradesh is a clear sign of political vendetta. This is not to suggest that if he is found guilty of making inflammatory speeches against any community, he should be allowed to go scot-free. But his arrest under a law enacted ostensibly for the preventive detention of those suspected of undermining the security and safety of the Indian State, amounts to using an AK-47 to kill a cat because it used its paws to scratch someone.

India Today
April 27, 2009

Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) Lok Sabha candidate Varun Gandhi on Monday launched a scathing attack on Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati for amassing wealth, while stressing that people should not enter politics on one's family name.

"When she (Mayawati) contested her first election, she declared assets of only Rs 3 lakh (Rs 300,000). Now she has movable and immovable properties worth over Rs 300 crore (Rs 3 billion). Whose wealth is this? It belongs to the poor and helpless," Varun Gandhi said at a rally in Sitapur.

The BJP leader, who is seeking to be elected to the Lok Sabha from Pilibhit in Uttar Pradesh, had on Sunday said that he did not want to be known by his Gandhi name but for his work. On Monday he added that people keen to enter politics should not think of doing so on his or her family name.
"Public servants, politicians to be precise, should enter politics on their own and seek votes on the work they have done for the public," he said.
Varun Gandhi, who has been campaigning in the state for the past few days, also addressed a rally in the state's Bahraich district on Monday and called upon people to "strengthen nationalism" and wage a war against casteism.

"Under no circumstances, should nationalism weaken in the state. You all must work in unity for ensuring the same," he said.

"The poison of casteism is slowly and gradually finishing the wave of nationalism. To combat, you should come forward and fight jointly," he added.
Varun Gandhi, who was campaigning for BJP candidate Akshaywar Lal Gaur in Bahraich, some 270 km from Lucknow, said he came to the district at the behest of a pharmacist he met in Etah jail.

"When I was in jail, a pharmacist belonging to Bahraich wanted me to visit his district to see the development work carried out by Akshaywar Lal. So, I made up my mind to visit Bahraich for campaigning and here I am today," he said at the rally. ?