UP government withdraws NSA against Varun Gandhi

The Uttar Pradesh government, on Thursday revoked the National Security Act against Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Varun Gandhi.

Earlier on Thursday, The Supreme Court had directed the Uttar Pradesh government to immediately withdraw charges under the NSA against Varun Gandhi which were imposed for his alleged hate speeches during his poll campaign in Pilibhit.

"The State government shall forthwith withdraw the detention order against Varun Gandhi under the NSA," a bench headed by Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan said.

After the Bench, also comprising Justices P Sathsavim and Deepak Verma passed the order, the BJP leader's counsel and senior advocate Mukul Rohtagi did not press for the second petition seeking exemplary damages of Rs 10 lakh from the Uttar Pradesh government.

The bench was also critical of the UP Government approaching it with an application against the decision of the State Advisory Board which had not found sufficient ground for invocation of NSA against the 29-year-old BJP leader.

The apex court took exception to the submission made by the state government that the District Magistrate (DM) of Pilibhit could not be heard and only the Additional District Magistrate (ADM) was present before the Advisory Board during the hearing.

Varun Gandhi had moved the Supreme Court for a direction to the Uttar Pradesh government to accept the Advisory Board's recommendation to the state to revoke the detention order passed under the National Security Act.

Meanwhile, the BJP candidate on Wednesday alleged that officials at a polling station in Pilibhit had helped the BSP candidate, a charge denied by the returning officer.

Twenty-nine-year-old Varun lodged a complaint with the poll observer posted at the booth. SDM Bisalpur M Akhtar would be investigating the matter, official sources said.

The complaint was related to a polling station in Luhichaa village in the Bisalpur assembly segment. Supporters of Varun had alleged that the election officials helped the BSP candidate Ganga Charan Rajput.

(With PTI inputs)