Varun Gandhi gets bail but NSA keeps him behind bar

Pilibhit, Mar 30 (ANI): Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Varun Gandhi got bail on Monday in the case pertaining to alleged anti-Muslim remarks, however, he will continue to remain behind bars as the National Security Act (NSA) has been slapped against him.

Pilibhit Chief Judicial Magistrate Vipin Kumar on Monday granted bail to Varun in two criminal cases lodged against him.

He has also been charged in a case in which his supporters created violence at the time of his arrest on March 28.

Earlier in the day, Varun's mother and former Union Minister Maneka Gandhi defended her son and said slapping of NSA, for inciting violence by making inflammatory anti-Muslim remarks, was a travesty of justice.

She termed the imposition of the NSA a "misuse of a serious law".

On Sunday, Pilibhit police lodged an FIR against Varun Gandhi for making inflammatory anti-Muslim remarks and creating a riot-like situation in the district.

Gandhi, however, has maintained his innocence, claiming that the CD containing his speech was tampered with.

Meanwhile, Samajwadi Party (SP) chief and former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav on Monday termed the invoking of the National Security Act (NSA) against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Varun Gandhi as "wrong" and misused "to settle political scores".

"The framing of charges under NSA against Varun Gandhi is completely wrong. The act has always been used to settle political scores," Mulayam said to reporters on the sidelines of a function here.

Mulayam, however, said: "The move to frame charges under NSA against Varun was a tactic by the BJP and the BSP to generate sympathy towards Varun Gandhi. If the BJP-BSP are not having any sort of tacit understanding, then why was Varun not arrested before the roadshow," he added.(ANI)