Addressing a rally in Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh, newly appointed BJP National Secretary Varun Gandhi called for a complete ban on cow slaughter. “If somebody attacks my mother, would I not stand in front of her to protect her? Cow-slaughter is not only a social crime it is also a criminal act but not a single case has been filed,” he said. “Why are we silent on this issue?” he added, as the crowds put their hands up in support of the cause.

Referring to the stampede in Kripalu Maharaj’s ashram in Pratapgarh in which 65 people were killed, he said, “there is money for Rs 5-Crore, Rs 10-Crore garlands but when it comes to giving compensation, the government says it has no money. It has done ‘murtikaran’ (filled the city with Mayawati’s statues) of Lucknow.” Raising the issue of Bareilly riots, Shri Gandhi wondered if the violence was a “well-thought out game-plan” of the Mayawati regime.

“I am totally against communalism. But why were they given permission to take out a procession on Holi when it is well-known how people celebrate this festival with such fervour,” he said.

He asserted that during the Lok Sabha elections he had not given a communal slogan when he said “we can get beheaded but would not bow our heads”.

“To give the fight for self-respect a communal colour is not correct,” he said.

Shri Gandhi also mentioned the need to respect Ganga river, an issue dear to the RSS and the Sangh Parivar.

He ended his speech with the slogan of “Jai Shri Ram”.

"Fighting for the poor of the nation is a long struggle that people from well-off families are not interested in. I want to produce at least one lakh Varun Gandhis who will fight that war", Shri Gandhi said, adding that he was in politics to serve and had no love for any post or power.

Click here to see pictures from the Rally