[Reader-list] Varun's speech blues

[Rakesh Iyer]

Dear all

Another audio record has cropped up for Varun Gandhi. This is even more
interesting, for it makes derogatory references not only to Muslims, but
also to Sikhs.

Read this:

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/in-logon-ko-pakad-pakad-ke-nasbandi-karana-padega/437496/

‘In logon ko pakad pakad ke nasbandi karana padega’
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*D K Singh <http://www.indianexpress.com/columnist/dksingh/>* Posted: Mar
22, 2009 at 0125 hrs IST
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 *New Delhi:* As the Election Commission discussed BJP candidate Varun
Gandhi’s reply to its notice on his alleged hate speeches, it received
another complaint today — from Pilibhit
Congress<http://www.indianexpress.com/special/congress,%20politics/>candidate
V M Singh, in the form of a 28-minute audio CD of a purported
speech by Gandhi at Deshnagar in Pilibhit on March 6.

According to the CD, a copy of which has been obtained by The Sunday
Express, Gandhi’s alleged speech in Deshnagar echoes the hate and vitriol of
his alleged speeches in Barkhera and, this time, slams Sikhs as well as
Muslims.

Gandhi is the BJP candidate from Pilibhit. Singh was once close to the
Maneka Gandhi family.

Excerpts:

• ...Main khada hoon hinduon ke liye...mujhe musalmaan vote nahin
chahiye...mereko ek bhi nahin chahiye...Na Khalistan se, na Pakistan se...”
[I am contesting for Hindus, I don’t want the Muslim vote, I don’t want a
single Muslim vote. Neither from Khalistan nor from Pakistan].

• Maana jayega ki Hindu ka garh hai yeh ki koi kat** apne sir nahin utha
sakta is chetra main [This will be known as a Hindu bastion, no (derogatory
reference) Muslim dare raise his head here]
n In logon ko pakad pakad ke nasbandi karaana padega...nasbandi karaana
padega. [Need to pick them up, one by one, and sterilise them]

• ...Ek to paagal sardar lad raha hai, jiske har samay barah baje hue
hain...aur woh ek musalman ka agent ban ke lad raha hai, jo hindu usko lada
rahe hain...woh hinduon ke sabh se bade gaddar hain...unko sazaye maut honi
chahiye iske baad. [A deranged Sikh is contesting (a derogatory reference to
the complainant)...he’s contesting as an agent of Muslims...the Hindus who
are supporting him are the worst traitors of their community...they should
be sentenced to death after this election].

• Boli se main jitna samarthan Hinduon ka doonga, usse zaada main goliyon se
samarthan unka doonga [More than my words in support of Hindus, will be my
bullets] Despite repeated attempts, Gandhi was not available for comment.

In his complaint, Singh has told the EC that the audio recording was
obtained through one of the residents of Pilibhit who wants that his name
not be disclosed for fear of repercussions. Singh claims to have “verified
the contents” of the recording from “some residents of Desh Nagar who were
present at the meeting.”

Reacting to Gandhi’s claim on the earlier CDs that those had been tampered
with, CEC N Gopalaswami has said that it’s up to Gandhi to prove that. Also,
speaking in Bhubaneswar yesterday, the CEC said there was no reason for the
EC to believe that the CDs were doctored.


What a shame that what the VHP used to say (and hence the EC could take no
action), now the BJP candidates are saying. Soon, there could be a day when
their prime-ministerial candidate would be also saying such things, and that
man could soon be Narendra Modi (after Advani goes away).

I think two things are very necessary from here:

1) Varun Gandhi must be sentenced as well as debarred from elections
forever, to ensure such speeches are never given again.

2) More importantly, not only the BJP, but any organization like the VHP
should be banned during election time from giving speeches against any
religion, on the pretext of communalizing atmosphere, and such people must
be jailed.


Regards

Rakesh