Advisory board terms NSA against Varun Gandhi invalid

Lucknow, May 8 (ANI): The imposition of National Security Act on BJP leader Varun Gandhi by Mayawati Government has been termed invalid by the UP advisory board appointed by Allahabad High Court to go into the merits of the case.

The NSA would now be immediately revoked and Gandhi would be a free man as per the law.

The Supreme Court on May 2 had extended the interim bail of Varun Gandhi till May 14.

Varun Gandhi had submitted his representation before an advisory board in the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court on April 28 against slapping of the NSA over his alleged hate speech in Pilibhit.

Senior judge Pradeep Kant, heads the three-member advisory board, which also includes two retired high court judges.

As the ultimate statutory authority on the NSA, the advisory board has the right to approve or revoke the government order invoking the act against Varun, BJP candidate from the Pilibhit Lok Sabha constituency.

The verdict of the advisory board is final and if it chooses to revoke the NSA, Gandhi would be set free with immediate effect.

Varun was charged for making highly inflammatory anti-Muslim utterances during his poll campaign in Pilibhit.

In his representation, Varun said the Uttar Pradesh Government had slapped NSA against him out of "political vendetta". He claimed that he had not created any law and order problem during his surrender on March 28 in the Pilibhit court.

The state government had invoked NSA against him on March 29 and he was kept in Etah jail. (ANI)