The Hindu : National : Maneka not allowed to meet Varun

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National

Maneka not allowed to meet Varun

Etah (U.P.): Bharatiya Janata Party MP Maneka Gandhi was on Friday denied permission to meet her son Varun, detained under the National Security Act at the jail here.

District Magistrate Gaurav Dayal said that Ms. Gandhi had sought permission to meet Mr. Varun, but citing rules he told her that she could meet him only after April 8.

“She was not allowed to meet Mr. Varun as NSA detenus are allowed such a meeting only twice a week,” Mr. Dayal told PTI.

Asked whether any special facilities were being provided to Mr. Varun, who had complained of rough treatment at the jail, the DM said that if any such application was moved to him he would consider it.

Mr. Varun, the BJP candidate from Pilibhit who landed in trouble with his hate speeches during campaigning, is being kept “alone in a cell due to security reasons,” the DM said, adding “he is a prisoner and is being kept as a prisoner.”

Ms. Gandhi said she was fed up with the injustice being meted out to a “young man.” She remarked that had Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati been a mother she would have understood her agony.

Rajnath to visit Etah

Neena Vyas reports from New Delhi:

BJP president Rajnath Singh plans to go to Etah on Monday and try to visit Mr. Varun in jail.

The district administration has not allowed visitors and heavy police deployment has been made outside the jail. A party leader said some “fireworks” could be expected during the visit.

A few days ago, senior BJP leader Venkaiah Naidu visited him.

There is a view in the party that the Varun episode, which has raised the communal temperature in Uttar Pradesh ahead of the five-phase poll in the State, could help to polarise votes along communal lines and help the BJP sail through a few extra seats, which it may otherwise lose by small margins. “There are five to seven such seats,” a party leader said.

At the same time another section in the party is of the view that this will take away the party from its “good governance” and “development” plank.

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